Left Behind: The Resistance (Season 1)
by lbwiki585
Summary: A TV show I made that is loosely based on the Left Behind series. Follow Bill Parker and the other members of the Resistance as they struggle to survive during the Rapture and Tribulation.
1. Episode 1: Flight 248

**Author's Note: This is an idea for a TV show based on the books in the **_**Left Behind**_** series. The characters in this series will have different names and personalities, except for Nicolae Carpathia, whom we all know is the Antichrist in the **_**Left Behind**_** franchise.**

**Season 1, Episode 1: Flight 248**

Bill Parker was 42 years old and a skilled pilot. Bill had been flying planes ever since he was nineteen. Bill loved his job. However, his job as a pilot didn't give him enough time to spend with his wife, Allison Reed Parker, or their son, Ben Parker. Bill loved his family, but he hated his wife's religion. Every day, Allison would pray for Bill and Ben. Christianity and all this religious stuff clearly annoyed Bill and Ben.

Bill was on his way to O'Hare International Airport to fly a plane to England. It was flight 248. Allison ran out of their home in Mount Prospect, Illinois, and hugged her husband tightly.

"I'll be praying for you during your flight", Allison said.

_Give me a break_, Bill thought.

Bill took a taxi to the airport. Bill spoke politely to some of the passengers before it was time for boarding.

Bill sat in the cockpit, quietly humming to himself and smiling. Bill was looking forward to flying the plane and earning more money as a result.

Little did Bill know that his life would change forever on that plane. Bill and the other passengers on Flight 248 would be in for a huge shock.

**In Flight 248, First-Class….**

As Bill Parker was getting ready for the plane to take off in the cockpit, Rohit Sharma, aged 21, was getting ready for a conference he was planning to attend in England. Rohit was a devout Muslim. Rohit's father, Nikhil Sharma, and older brother, Rahul Sharma, were even more dedicated to their Islamic faith. Rohit was a business entrepreneur. Rohit was born in India, then moved to Illinois when he was four years old.

Rohit had expressed interest in finance and economics after he graduated from middle school. Rohit had plans to start his own business and wanted this conference to go well.

But just like Bill, Rohit had no clue that God would have other plans.

Rohit had heard about Christianity and Jesus. However, he never felt inclined to become a Christian, and for good reason. Rohit's father believed that Christians were enemies of God and an insult to Islam. And Rohit certainly had no interest in disobeying his father.

So, Rohit leaned back in his seat as he read the Quran. Sandy Comstock, 25, was another passenger of Flight 248 sitting in first-class. Sandy was a writer working with _Global Weekly_.

Joyce Dancer, 23, was also sitting in first-class, typing some notes on a laptop. Joyce was working with a magazine company in Illinois and was supposed to interview some celebrities in England.

**In Flight 248, Second-Class…**

Zoey Harper, 20, was sitting in the second-class section exchanging kisses with her boyfriend, Wishy Walters. Wishy was a Christian, but Zoey was an atheist. Zoey and Wishy were planning a romantic vacation in England.

"God will take care of us", Wishy said.

"Sure", Zoey said, rolling her eyes. Zoey really didn't care much for Wishy's faith, but he was such an incredible and good-looking guy. Plus, Wishy genuinely cared about her. He wasn't like the many males in the world that had taken advantage of women or acted like an arrogant and selfish guy. Wishy wasn't boastful. Wishy really was living out his faith. But still, Zoey thought all the religious stuff was boring and uninteresting.

Perry Warden, 30, was also sitting in second-class, hoping to attend some training sessions in England. Perry had served for a year in the United States Military and wanted to see if he could gain more work and experience.

Eddie Exton, 27, was watching a movie in second-class. Eddie was not really religious. He attended church, but he never really bought into the things that the pastors were saying at his church in Illinois.

Josh Grant, 24, was in second-class looking forward to seeing Manchester United play their big soccer game against Liverpool. Josh was a secular atheist and did not believe in or enjoy Christianity in the slightest.

String Becker, 33, was planning to go on vacation in England after working for four grueling weeks. String really needed a break.

Kade Gordonhurst, 23, was planning to go to London and explore the city. Kade's sister, Kara, was a Christian. Kade was not.

Tony Cataldo, 23, was immersed and engrossed in a TV show he was watching in second-class. Tony hated all religions, even though his entire family were Christians.

Pete Alessandra, 29, was listening to music. Pete was planning on attending a rock concert that was supposed to be held in London. Pete was not religious, and no one in his family was either.

Larry Levine, 39, was reading a magazine. Larry's wife Jozie was religious, and Larry and Jozie had two children that were two years and six months old, respectively.

Sylvester Coddmyer, 36, was watching a baseball game on his screen in second-class. Sylvester was not religious, even though his wife was. Sylvester and his wife, Jenna, had only one child, who was seven years old.

The lives of these men and women would be changed forever on Flight 248. None of them knew each other prior to this day. But they would all share the horror of what they would experience as something they all had in common. They had no idea that on this plane ride, something would happen that would permanently alter their perspective on life completely.

After all the passengers seemed to be sitting and ready, Bill Parker then announced, "Passengers of Flight 248, fasten your seatbelts. It's time for takeoff."

They had no idea what would await them.


	2. Episode 2: Takeoff

**Season 1, Episode 2: Takeoff**

Bill Parker carefully guided the plane as it took off into the air. He wasn't worried in the slightest about operating the plane. He had been doing stuff like this for over twenty years. He felt safe to assume that he had completely mastered everything about properly flying a plane. Bill made sure safety instructions were shown to the passengers on the entire flight through the video screens.

As the plane reached the air, the passengers were allowed to move around.

"I need to use the restroom", String Becker muttered as he hurried out of his seat.

While the plane was on auto-pilot, Bill took out a photo of him and Allison holding Ben after his eighth birthday. How small he was back then. Bill looked forward to seeing his wife and son after he finished with this flight.

Rohit Sharma had struck up a conversation with Sandy Comstock.

"I'm a business entrepreneur", Rohit said. "I'm planning on going to a conference in England."

"Man, I'm going to write about some interesting sights in London", Sandy said.

"Have any family?", Rohit asked.

Sandy took a deep breath before replying.

"No", Sandy said. "My parents both died two months ago in a plane crash. This is the first time I've traveled by plane since their deaths."

"Oh", Rohit said. "Sorry to hear that." Rohit felt sympathy for Sandy. Rohit's own mother died when Rohit was just one year old.

"My parents were strong believers in Christianity", Sandy said. "Before they died, they said that Jesus was going to return again soon."

"And what do you think?", Rohit asked. He wanted to know the other man's point of view about the Christian lifestyle, but that didn't mean he would immediately sign up to be a Christian.

"Honestly, I don't believe in any of it", Sandy said. "My parents were good people, but the Christian stuff isn't for me. I just don't understand how God can love us if he just sits in heaven doing nothing. Plus, it's so boring and monotonous."

Well, Rohit had to admit those were valid points.

In second-class, Larry Levine was talking to Jozie on his cell phone.

"How are the kids?", Larry asked.

"They're doing great", Jozie said.

"Are they sleeping?"

"Well, Marcus is still awake, but Kyle fell asleep five minutes ago."

"Well, when you get the chance, can you tell them…"

"Sir", Sally Graves, one of the flight attendants on Flight 248, interjected as she walked past Larry's seat. "You are not allowed to use your cell phone during the flight."

"Sorry, Jozie, I'll have to call you back", Larry said before he hung up his cell phone and put it away.

Eddie Exton turned to the passenger on his left, a 23-year-old man named Gordon Bernall.

"What are you planning to see in England?", Eddie asked.

"I'll probably just tour London and check out some amazing sights", Gordon said, shrugging with indifference, seemingly.

Kade Gordonhurst and Pete Alessandra had struck up a conversation of their own.

"What are your favorite bands?", Pete asked Kade.

"I can't really say for sure", Kade said. "There are so many of them, and it's really difficult for me to decide which ones are the best."

"What type of music do you like?"

"Rock, hip hop, pop, rap", Kade said.

"Who are your favorite singers?", Pete asked.

"Again, can't say for sure", Kade said. "But the Christian bands you see in the world today are lame."

Pete nodded in agreement and smiled.

A few hours later, dinner was taking place.

As Rohit started to eat the chicken in his tray, he noticed the passenger sitting next to him on his right had bowed his head and started silently praying before eating.

"I don't mean to bother you, sir", Rohit said. "Are you religious?"

The other man smiled at Rohit. "Yeah. Been a Christian for 13 years."

Rohit politely introduced himself.

"My name is Harold Irvington", said the Christian man. "What religion are you?"

"I'm a Muslim", Rohit said.

"Oh, I see", Harold said.

"What's it like, being a Christian?", Rohit asked.

Harold said, "I feel so much joy. Living for Jesus. It feels wonderful in my opinion."

Rohit didn't bother arguing with the man. The Christians seemed pretty brainwashed and easily manipulated.

"Well, that's wonderful to hear", Rohit said as politely as possible.

Zoey Harper watched as Wishy Walters bowed his head and prayed.

"Lord, bless this ravishing meal and watch over us on our journey. Take care of us. I know for you, any imaginable task is possible. Watch over Zoey. I know you love her."

Zoey and Wishy then began eating. Zoey thought her boyfriend was sweet, but easily misguided by his faith, which didn't seem to mean anything.

Joyce Dancer was enjoying the chicken she was eating. Joyce was looking forward to talking to celebrities when she set foot in England.

**Meanwhile, in the cockpit…**

Bill was in a conversation with Marlene Kingston, one of the flight attendants.

"How's Allison?", Marlene asked.

"She's doing great", Bill said. "I can't wait to speak with her again."

Little did Bill know of the events that would take place only two hours later.

The passengers of Flight 248 would never expect the events that would occur. A shocking twist of events.


	3. Episode 3: In the Twinkling of an Eye

**Season 1, Episode 3: In the Twinkling of an Eye**

**Four hours earlier…**

At the Parker house, Ben Parker was feeling drowsy and somnolent.

Allison came to Ben's bedroom to wish him a good night.

"Ben, did you say your prayers?", Allison asked.

"Yes, Mom", Ben said. But this was a lie.

Allison smiled and hugged Ben tightly.

"Mom, do you think Dad is okay?", Ben asked.

"I'm sure he will be fine, honey", Allison said.

Ben was suddenly feeling slightly scared.

"Mom, can you tell me a bedtime story?", Ben asked.

Allison looked at her only son lovingly.

"Sure, Ben", Allison said. "Did I ever tell you the story about Noah and his sons?"

Ben frowned. "I don't think you have."

"Well", Allison said. "Noah was a follower of God and a good man. However, there were bad people living all around him. God warned Noah that he would destroy the whole world and the people living in it with a flood…"

By this time, Ben had completely fallen asleep and his mother kissed his forehead before leaving the room. Ben didn't believe that the story of Noah was true.

Ben had no idea that would be the last time he would ever see his mother before disaster struck.

**In the present time… **

Bill Parker was sitting in the cockpit of Flight 248, wishing he could get this flight over with. Though he enjoyed flying planes, sometimes the tasks given to him could feel exhausting.

In first-class, Rohit Sharma had fallen asleep after reading some verses from the Quran. He woke up after an hour, feeling slightly hungry.

Rohit turned to speak to Harold Irvington. "When do you think they'll…"

Rohit stopped speaking as he realized Harold wasn't in his seat. He noticed Harold's clothes were on his seat.

_Maybe he's just using the bathroom or something_, Rohit thought.

But why would he go the bathroom without his clothes? Something didn't feel right.

Rohit got up and walked towards one of the bathrooms on the plane. He noticed the door was unlocked. He knocked on the door, waited for a second, then said, "Harold? Mr. Irvington? I don't want to sound nosy, but you left your clothes behind. I'm sure that it was probably an unintentional mistake."

There was no response.

Rohit then opened the door. No one was inside the bathroom.

Now Rohit was confused.

Meanwhile, in second-class, Zoey Harper was sleeping. She had watched a movie for forty minutes before getting tired.

Zoey then woke up. She wanted to ask Wishy if he had a water bottle or some other drink to keep her hydrated.

Zoey turned to where Wishy had been sitting. But he wasn't in his seat.

_That's strange_, Zoey thought. She noticed her boyfriend's clothes were on his seat. But where was Wishy?

Zoey walked up to Eddie Exton. She woke him up. "Sorry to bother, but have you seen my boyfriend? I don't know where he is, and he left his clothes on his seat."

"I'm afraid I don't know", Eddie said. "But let me go see if I can find him."

Eddie walked down the aisle towards one of the bathrooms. It seemed strange for a man to walk on a plane, or in any public place overall, without proper attire. Eddie was sure that it was probably because of sleepwalking. Why else would someone go somewhere completely naked?

Eddie knocked on the door and noticed it was unlocked. He checked the bathroom and saw no one was inside. Eddie then ran to another bathroom in the second-class section and saw that no one was inside that bathroom either.

Eddie walked back to Zoey. "I'm terribly sorry, um, what's your name?"

"Zoey."

"I'm sorry Zoey, but I can't seem to find your boyfriend. I checked two of the bathrooms, and he isn't there."

"Aren't there any other bathrooms in this section?"

"Yes, there's two more", Eddie said. "I'll go check."

Pete Alessandra was listening to some music on the headphones he was given. Pete was clearly enjoying the sound.

Pete stomped his foot on the ground, feeling ecstatic. Then he felt someone's clothes with his shoe.

Pete then said, "Sorry, sir…"

Pete then frowned. There had been a passenger sitting next to him on his right, and he was nowhere to be seen. Yet his clothes were clearly visible.

Pete then woke up Kade Gordonhurst, who had been sitting on Pete's left. "Dude, have you seen the guy sitting next to me on the right side? His clothes are here, but I don't know where he is."

Kade shrugged. "I don't have a clue. Maybe he walked to the other side of the plane or something. How about this. You check to see if he's in second-class, and I'll check the first-class and third-class sections."

Pete nodded in agreement. Kade then ran to the first-class section in the hopes of finding the missing passenger.

Kade then accidentally bumped into Sally Graves when he was running in the first-class section.

"Watch where you're going!", Sally snapped. "The passengers are not allowed to run on the flight."

"I'm really sorry, Ma'am", Kade said. "I'm just looking for this guy that was sitting in the second-class section of the plane. I was thinking he might be walking in first-class or third-class."

Kade then walked through the first-class section, hoping to find the missing passenger. Sally was walking right behind him, probably to supervise.

As all of this was taking place, Sandy Comstock was busy trying to think of the proper words to write for _Global Weekly_. Sandy knew that his job wasn't completely easy, but he could use his creativity to really impress his bosses.

Sandy then decided to stand up and stretch. As he did, he noticed something horrifying.

There were eight empty seats. Yet, the clothes of the passengers that had been sitting in those seats were visible.

Sandy then turned as Rohit was towards him, looking worried and filled with trepidation.

"Don't mean to bother you, Sandy, but have you seen this man that was sitting next to me? He apparently walked out of his seat and left his clothes behind."

Sandy shook his head. "Rohit, can you explain what I'm seeing over here?"

Sandy pointed to the eight missing seats. Rohit looked terrified as he saw the abandoned clothes on the seats. Something serious seemed to be taking place.

Kade and Sally had approached them.

"May I ask why you two are standing in the aisle?", Sally asked.

"I was looking for this gentleman that was sitting next to me", Rohit said. "I can't find him, but his clothes were left on the seat."

"And I found this", Sandy said, motioning to the eight empty seats.

Sally looked at those seats, apparently looking shocked and terrified. Then she screamed.

Larry Levine was in a deep slumber while all this was occurring. He certainly did not think anything terrible or disastrous could be going on.

Larry suddenly woke up when Sylvester Coddmyer started shaking his shoulders.

"Dude, you might want to get up. Something weird just happened on this plane."

Larry saw that Sylvester was pointing to ten empty seats in the second-class section. The seats had the clothes of the people that had been sitting in them.

Larry shuddered at the sight.

By now, more passengers were waking up and noticing the empty seats and the clothes that had been abandoned.

Josh Grant had been walking to use the bathroom a few minutes earlier. As he was heading to that bathroom, he felt like he stepped on something.

Josh saw that what he stepped on was somebody's clothes. He picked them up, without any knowledge or understanding of why it was there.

Josh headed down the aisle to find the nearest flight attendant. He saw Marlene Kingston. He called out, "Mrs. Kingston? Do you know who was wearing these clothes?"

"It seems like a bunch of people disappeared", Marlene said. "But there seems to be no leads about how this whole situation happened."

String Becker had woken up to hear a loud commotion and shouting. String overhead some of the conversations being heard.

"His clothes are here, but he's missing…"

"I can see his glasses…"

"My boyfriend was sitting right by me", Zoey Harper said, sobbing.

"What's going on?", String asked.

"Terrible situation, dude", Eddie said. "Apparently a bunch of people on this plane disappeared right out of their clothes."

Perry Warden and Tony Cataldo then walked over. Of all the passengers, these two seemed to be the least concerned about the current disaster.

"Maybe you're all just imagining things", Perry said. "There's no way they could have just randomly disappeared."

"Then how do you explain all the missing clothes?", Sylvester asked.

Just then Rohit Sharma, Sandy Comstock, and Sally Graves had walked over. Sally was looking frightened.

Gordon Bernall then woke up. He heard all the arguing and shouting, and he then looked at the empty seats with the clothes. Gordon looked horrified at the sight.

"Dude, are you okay?", Eddie asked. "Do you need some air or…"

Gordon then swallowed. "No, I'll be fine."

Joyce Dancer had come over to the second-class section. "Guys, some people in the first-class section seem to be missing, but their clothes are still there."

"Already ahead of you there", Eddie said. "A bunch of people seemed to have disappeared."

"Why do you think this happened?", a passenger named Steven Johnson asked.

Eddie then took a deep breath.

"I remember one of the pastors at my church saying something about God returning to the earth to take his followers to heaven. If all the people that disappeared were Christians…"

Zoey gasped.

"My wife, Jozie, said something about that", Larry said. "Some apocalyptic event known as the Rapture."

"I recall Wishy talking about that once", Zoey said.

Just then Bill arrived to the second-class section to find these passengers talking after seeing all the missing seats on the plane.

"I counted the seats and the clothes", Bill said. "There's seventeen missing passengers from first-class, twenty-two missing passengers from second-class, and thirty-four missing passengers from third-class. In addition, one of the flight attendants is also gone."

"Was it Karen?", Marlene asked.

"Yes, it was", Bill said, trembling.

Perry snorted. "I think this Rapture stuff is nonsense. Idiocy. There is no way that can be true."

"Yeah", Tony said. "It's just a huge lie that preachers, evangelists, and theorists have used to spread their propaganda and scare people. It's completely moronic."

"But don't you think that theory has any relevance?", Rohit asked. "If the Christian rapture just happened, then…"

"Shut your mouth, you stupid Muslim!", Tony snarled. "Why don't you go to the Middle East and focus on blowing people up? That's all you religious idiots are good for anyway. Liars, Con-artists, jihadists, and terrorist scum, the lot of you."

There were times Rohit had heard racial insults because of his race and religion. Rohit had been easily angered by those taunts. Rohit's father had always advised him to not get into a fight. Rohit had been able to compose himself and control his temper on numerous occasions.

This was not one of those times.

Rohit punched Tony squarely in the jaw, causing his mouth to bleed. Tony then responded with a blow of his own, punching Rohit in the stomach.

Rohit then grabbed Tony and dragged him to the floor. He then kicked him in the stomach. Tony then hit Rohit's kneecap.

Bill and Sylvester then stepped in and broke up the fight.

"Break it up, break it up!", Bill shouted. "There is no way all these passengers just walked off of this plane. I'm sure there is a logical explanation. Everyone get back to your seats."

Everyone returned to their seats. Tony gave Rohit a nasty stare as he headed back to his seat.

But as Bill was heading back to the cockpit, he feared that the worst possible outcome had happened. All the Christians had been taken in the Rapture, and he had been left behind.

Which meant that Allison had been taken too.

**Author's Note: And that was episode three of Season 1!**


	4. Episode 4: Nasty Discoveries

**Season 1, Episode 4: Nasty Discoveries**

**Ben's POV**

Ben Parker woke up at 6:15 AM. He wasn't feeling that sleepy that morning. He planned to eat some cereal, and maybe watch some television before heading to school that morning.

As Ben was eating his breakfast, he was wondering whether he should wake up his mother. He then decided to wake her up only _after_ watching some TV.

After Ben finished eating, heturned on the television. He scrolled through the channels, hoping to find his favorite cartoons.

Ben selected his favorite channel with the remote. He then saw that the screen was filled with static.

Ben then changed the channel to a news station. He was not prepared to witness what he was about to see.

The news reporter said, "Apparently some strange events occurred last night. Millions of people have disappeared from all over the world. For example, here in Colorado, a birthday party for a ten-year old was taking place, and twenty-two of the children had vanished, including the birthday boy."

The reporter then showed the footage of the party. The boy whose birthday was being celebrated was in front of his cake and was about to blow out the candles when the 22 children had vanished, including himself.

The news report then switched over to a football game in Massachusetts. Ben watched as the camera showed the two teams preparing for the beginning of the third quarter. All of a sudden, seven of the players vanished, leaving their uniforms behind. According to the reporter, it was confirmed that a total of 57 people that attended the game had vanished when they were sitting in the stands.

Ben turned to another channel. This time, the news was showing a plane that was flying from Arizona to Africa. According to the reporter, the pilot of the plane had disappeared, causing all the passengers on the plane that hadn't disappeared to be killed.

Ben turned to another channel. On this channel, he discovered that one of the drivers of a car that was driving though New York had disappeared. This caused the car he was in to spin out of control, causing a pile-up in which five people reportedly lost their lives.

Ben was mortified and aghast by what he had seen. How could a bunch of people just disappear out of nowhere?

Ben decided to ask his mother about what in the world had just happened. He ran up the stairs to talk to his mother about the seemingly terrible situation. Ben knocked on his mother's door, but there was no response.

Ben then decided to open the door. He opened it and saw something that he would never forget.

His mother was gone. But her nightgown was still on the bed.

Ben ran up to his room and hid himself under the covers, scared and terrified out of his mind. He couldn't believe his mother had just disappeared like that. What possible explanation could there be for this?

Ben sobbed and buried his face in his hands.

**Bill's POV**

Bill knew his wife was gone. There was no way she could have been left behind. Was it possible that she could have been right all this time? Was it conceivable that the Rapture had occurred and she had disappeared, like the missing passengers of Flight 248?

Bill took a deep breath. He couldn't forget why he was there. He had to fly this plane. He had to make a decision.

**Tony's POV**

Tony Cataldo was sitting in his seat, feeling angry at Rohit. He pressed the ice pack against his mouth, trying to heal the wounds the younger man had inflicted on him.

_That worthless Indian!_, Tony thought. _He just can't handle the truth._

Bill's voice then came over the intercom. "Passengers of Flight 248, this is the pilot speaking. Due to recent incidents and careful consideration, we have decided to fly this plane back to Chicago."

No one seemed to argue with this decision. Well, except for Perry Warden.

Perry seemed furious. "Are you joking? A bunch of people just disappear and all of a sudden we change our plans? For all we know, those people could be hiding here playing a prank. I had ambitions to carry out in England. I had plans."

Tony didn't want to think the Rapture had occurred and that Perry was right. But the idea of all the missing passengers pulling a prank seemed a little far-fetched. What could they possibly gain by doing something so cynical?

Tony just had to arrive home and see if his family had disappeared or not.

**Eddie's POV**

Eddie Exton's worst nightmare had seemingly become a reality. The event that he thought would never occur had happened.

Eddie didn't want to believe that this was real. But there was no denying the obvious. If the missing passengers leaving their clothes behind didn't convince him, he didn't know what did.

Eddie sobbed and held his face in his hands. He didn't know if he would ever feel happy again.  
**Kade's POV**

Kade knew exactly what he had to do if he ever managed to return to Chicago safely. He had to find his sister and see if she had disappeared or not, although he was pretty sure he already knew the answer. How could things have changed so quickly?

**Rohit's POV**

Rohit was feeling confused and bewildered. But if the Rapture had just happened, then he knew he had to surrender to the Christian God. Doing so was guaranteeing his family would disown him. But he didn't have any choice. If the Christians were right about heaven and hell…

Rohit shuddered at the thought.

He felt so scared for the first time in a long time. He had absolutely no one to turn to.

**Zoey's POV **

Zoey sobbed. She had lost the love of her life, and she would never see him again.

Unless God would somehow accept her. _Is it too late for me to cry out to God and hope he'll show me mercy and generosity?_ Zoey thought.

She was filled with despair. She also wondered if this was occurring all over the world, not just on this plane.

Well, she would have to get back to Chicago. Maybe there was some church within the vicinity of the city that could offer some assistance.

Zoey only could hope.

**Sandy's POV**

Sandy was completely shocked by the events that had occurred on this plane. Now this was _definitely_ news worthy.

Sandy shook his head. Now was not the time to think of his career. It seemed so irrelevant and petty after seeing what just happened. Would the world ever be able to return to normal? This would be a nightmare that he doubted anyone would be able to escape from. This was a real event occurring right before their very eyes. Sandy's goals to make more money and impress his bosses now seemed petty.

What was he going to do? If the disaster that had just happened was going to be the forefront issue all around the world, there would be pandemonium from everywhere he could turn his head. Sandy could imagine the crisis that could be occurring at his office for _Global Weekly_. Definitely not enough to call this situation the news of the year or the decade. No, this was probably the biggest disaster in all of human history.

Sandy decided his best plan of action would be to go along with the show. Maybe he would find a church that would verbally explain the details to him. That didn't mean he was going to get on his knees and beg for God's mercy. He was still skeptical about the religious aspects.

**Joyce's POV**

Joyce Dancer had no intentions on begging God for forgiveness anytime soon. She was upset that her plans in England were now put on hold because of the current situation. If this was a prank, that was seriously messed up. She would be sure to blast the missing passengers if that were the case. But if it wasn't a prank, Joyce knew that she had to make some serious choices. There didn't seem to be any loopholes or any shortcuts. Joyce didn't see how religion had any involvement with the missing people. If this had happened in other places, this was going to look mediocre and pitiful.

**Bill's POV**

Bill carefully landed the plane on the runway at O'Hare International Airport. He could only imagine what he would find over there.

The passengers seemed eager to leave the plane. Sandy Comstock was the first passenger to leave. Rohit Sharma was the second.

After all the passengers had gotten off the plane, Bill turned to Marlene Kingston and Sally Graves.

"Let me see if I can get us all a taxi", Bill said. "Although I would imagine communications and phone lines will be hectic like anything."

**Sylvester's POV**

Sylvester Coddmyer's heart was racing as he ran through the airport, hoping to find a taxi generous enough to give him a lift. That seemed like too much to hope for, but he had to know what had happened to his wife and son.

He was so lucky to find a taxi after waiting for fifty minutes. Sylvester got into the cab.

The driver warned him, "I have to warn you, sir. There's fires and damaged cars in many streets within the Chicago area. Getting to your home in…which town was it again?

"Mount Prospect."

"Exactly, Mount Prospect. It's going to be a bit tricky, so bear with me."

Sylvester looked out the window in horror as he saw clothes of people that had disappeared simply laying abandoned on the sidewalk. This definitely was not looking pleasant.

Sylvester thought about Jenna. He had disagreed with her on all angles about her devotion to her religion. Now he wished he had listened a little closer. Maybe there was some relevance to her beliefs. There was no way she could have been left behind. And what about their only son, Sal?

The driver said, "My name is Angel Lopez."

Sylvester introduced himself.

"Did you lose any family in this disaster?", Angel asked.

"I don't know yet, but I'm pretty sure they're gone", Sylvester said.

Angel nodded. "I found the clothes of my wife and children. They all disappeared."

Sylvester took a deep breath. "That's terrible."

Angel continued driving. Neither of them said anything for ten minutes.

Finally, Sylvester asked, "Do you think you know where your family is?"

Angel said, "My family were Christians. But I honestly don't believe in any of it. I know some people right now are saying it's the end of the world and that Jesus might return, but it sounds far-fetched."

One day earlier, Sylvester would have agreed with him wholeheartedly. Now, he wasn't sure.

Fifty minutes later, after maneuvering through heavy traffic, they had reached the Coddmyer house.

Sylvester paid Angel and thanked him. He walked halfway up the driveway when he realized that he didn't give Angel enough money. He turned around to give them the required amount of cash when all of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere, a speeding car going about seventy miles per hour crashed into the taxi that Sylvester had just stepped out of.

This caused the taxi to flip over and be set on fire with the other car.

Sylvester ran over to the taxi, but he already knew that Angel was dead. There was no way he could still be alive.

Sylvester found Angel's body with shards of glass in his head and a profuse amount of blood right next to his head. Angel's eyelids were open and unmoving.

Sylvester turned his concentration to the other car, the one that had started the accident. There was seemingly no one in the driver's seat. But Sylvester noticed that there were clothes in the seat.

Sylvester shuddered at the horror in front of him and realized how lucky he was to be alive. If he had been in the car just a few minutes later, he would have died too.

Sylvester knew there was no point calling the police. They were probably already too busy as it was. He ran into the house and yelled, "Jenna? Are you here? Jenna?"

No answer. Sylvester ran up the stairs to their bedroom. He ran in and found her clothes under the bed. He then started sobbing. He wished he had believed. He wished he had listened. Was it too late? Could he have a second chance?

Sylvester checked Sal's room and found his crib empty, yet his clothes were still there.

Sylvester walked back downstairs to the living room, too filled with grief to even do anything else. What was the point? His wife and son were both gone. They had been taken along with millions of other people. What else could he possibly do?

Sylvester sat on his couch and cried for a few minutes. He didn't know if he would ever feel happy again. Would _anyone_ be truly happy again, after all the terrible events that had recently occurred?

Just then a message came on the phone. "Hello, Coddmyers. My name is Paul Karoski. I was an assistant pastor prior to the recent tragedy. I am the only pastor left at New Hope Village Church and one of the few remaining staff members. If any of you are still around, you are more then welcome to come to a meeting I am hosting today to discuss the future and events that we might be facing. I encourage it."

Sylvester stood up. A _pastor_ had been left behind? That was not something he would have expected. Should he go?

_Of course_, Sylvester thought. _I have to. I have to know if there is still hope._

Sylvester ran to the driveway and started the car that was in the garage. He knew exactly what he was going to do.

**Rohit's POV**

Rohit had come back to his apartment. He wasn't even thinking about calling his father or brother at this point. He had to find a Christian church nearby that would explain the terrible calamities that he had witnessed.

Then Rohit realized New Hope Village Church was not too far from his apartment. He headed out to his car and started it, desperate in his search and quest for satisfying answers.

**Eddie's POV **

Eddie had listened to the message Paul Karoski had left on his answering machine. He ran out to his car and started driving towards New Hope Village Church.

Eddie knew that he had missed out. He only hoped he could have another chance.

**Pete's POV**

It had taken at least four hours for Pete Alessandra to return to his home safely after getting off the plane. There was so much panic at the airport.

Pete had to make sure his family members were okay. If what Eddie had said on the plane was true, none of them would have disappeared.

Pete dialed his father's cell phone. When Pete had planned to attend the concert in England, his parents and older brother had decided to take a road trip.

A male voice that Pete didn't recognized answered the phone, "Who is this?"

"This is Pete Alessandra. Why do you have my father's cell phone?"

The man said, "I am Lawrence Klebold. I'm the police chief in Wisconsin. I'm afraid I have terrible news. Your father and the other people he was with in the van were all killed. The van he was in was broadsided by a large truck. The driver of the truck had disappeared."

Pete dropped the cell phone, in utter disbelief at what he had just heard.

Pete couldn't believe it. His entire family had been killed, just like that. What was he going to do?

Pete sat down on the couch in the living room and sobbed.

**Tony's POV**

After sitting through hours of traffic, Tony had finally managed to get back home.

Tony entered the house. He ran upstairs to his parents' bedroom. He saw that their clothes were on the bed. They were obviously gone.

Tony then checked out his older sister's bedroom. He found her nightgown on the floor. The Bible was sitting right next to her clothes.

Tony took gasps of air. Even though he was never fond of Christianity, he knew he had to make a decision. He still wasn't completely sure he wanted to surrender to Christ, even though he knew there weren't many options available to him at the moment.

Tony sat in his bedroom and thought for a few minutes. Then he decided to drive to New Hope Village Church. Maybe there was someone there that could help him.

**Bill's POV**

Bill sat in the taxi with Marlene and Sally. It took five hours for both of them to get dropped off. Marlene seemed pretty scared, but Sally…she looked like a shell.

When Bill reached his home, he ran inside the house.

"Allison?", Bill shouted. "Ben?"

Bill already had a feeling he knew where Allison was. He ran upstairs to her bedroom. He walked over to her bed and found her clothes.

Bill sobbed as he held the clothes tightly to his chest. He felt so ashamed for ignoring and scoffing at his wife. A few minutes later, he ran to check out Ben's room.

Bill found Ben curled up in a ball on his bed. Ben's face looked tearful. Bill ran to the only other member of his family still left and hugged him tightly. Ben sobbed on Bill's shirt.

Bill still didn't know what he was going to do. There didn't seem to be many options available. He wasn't sure if he was ready to all of a sudden convert to Christianity, but he knew his options were running out.

Bill then received a message from Paul Karoski, which indicated that Paul had also been left behind.

Bill then hugged his son again and said, "Ben, wait upstairs in your bedroom. I'll be back shortly. I'm going to New Hope Village Church."

Ben looked at Bill with a fearful expression. "You'll be back, right?"

"Of course I'll be back", Bill said.

Bill then ran outside to one of the cars in the driveway and started the engine. He drove towards New Hope Village Church. He couldn't remember the last time he was so eager to go.

Bill reached the church parking lot and parked his car in one of the spaces. He then ran towards the entrance. Maybe someone would be able to help him.

Bill knocked on the door. A man in his mid-thirties answered the door.

"Hello", the man said. "My name is Paul Karoski. Eight other people came to this church for answers as well. I'm sure I know why you're here."

Bill nodded with pursed lips. "My wife. She's gone. And my son apparently found her clothes."

Paul said, "I can help you and the others."

Paul then led Bill to the basement of the church. When Bill arrived, he couldn't believe what he saw.

In the room was Rohit Sharma, Sandy Comstock, Kade Gordonhurst, Tony Cataldo, Larry Levine, Sylvester Coddmyer, Zoey Harper, and Eddie Exton. Apparently, these frightened passengers from Flight 248 also came for answers.

IN MEMORIAM

**Angel Lopez **


	5. Episode 5: Prayer In An Empty Room

**Season 1, Episode 5: Prayer in an Empty Room**

**Rohit's POV**

As Rohit Sharma glanced at the other nine people that happened to be in that church basement, he couldn't help but notice that he was the only non-white person in the room. He was the only Indian.

Rohit knew that his feelings of inferiority and insecurity didn't seem to matter much at the moment. His worries about being prejudiced against because of his nationality and the color of his skin seemed to be a small issue. After all, millions of people from all over the world had disappeared. Thousands of others had died as a result of accidents that happened because of the disappearances. If Eddie Exton was right about his assumption of the occurrence of the Christian Rapture, they were all in serious trouble. Their calamity and crisis were just beginning.

Rohit had no reason to doubt now that he had to make a decision regarding Christianity. That didn't mean he was so eager to do so. He knew that if he decided to become a believer, there was no going back. His father and brother would never forgive him. But Rohit couldn't worry about what they thought. He had to be concerned if the almighty God himself would show some compassion and mercy. If all the Christians that Rohit had met in his 21 years were right, Rohit just had to acknowledge his mistakes and beg God for his forgiveness. It seemed way too simple. But with all the death and destruction that just happened, Rohit knew that nothing seemed too simple any longer.

Paul Karoski told the nine other people in the room his own story. Paul started with his background. He had been the assistant pastor at New Hope Village Church for five years. Paul was married and he and his wife, Eve, had four sons. Paul said he was horrified when he found the clothes of his wife and sons the morning after the disappearances. He told the nine frightened individuals that he was never a Christian, that he never really bought into it. He just performed rituals and read scriptures. That didn't mean he was committed.

"Of course, now I regret the choices I've made", Paul said. "I am ashamed and disappointed with myself because of my actions. I just wished I had responded to God sooner. Myself and the few remaining staff members here realized our mistake now. It's unfortunate that it took the biggest disaster in all of human history to persuade us. Now we are as committed as we possibly can be during the turmoil."

Rohit listened intently as Paul explained how he found his family.

"I was planning on watching a movie in the living room when everyone else was asleep. After I watched the film, I headed back to my room. When I got into bed, I noticed my wife wasn't in the bed. I thought at first that maybe she went to the bathroom or something. But a few minutes passed, and I knew that something was suspicious. I pulled the covers and saw her clothes. I ran to the bathroom and found nothing. I then hurried to my eldest son's bedroom and found his clothes on the bed. I ran to my second-born son's room and found his clothes on the floor-I think he probably was walking to get a drink. I found my third son's and fourth son's room to have the empty clothes abandoned. I had realized at that moment that I had been left behind."

Paul wiped some tears off of his face as he continued the story.

"I phoned the church and found out most of the staff members were gone. The lead pastor had been among those who vanished. I met up with the few staff members who had been left behind. I noticed I was the only pastor left. Well, you can all guess what happened. We all said the prayer and begged God for forgiveness. We finally cried out to him. While it didn't take away our pain, we had assurance we would see our colleagues and friends that had disappeared some day in the future."

Bill then said, "Mr. Karoski, um.."

"Call me Paul", Paul said. "I'm nobody special, just an average human being like the rest of you."

"Paul", Bill said. "So, what you're saying is that, there is still a second chance for us, even though we have all been left behind."

"Exactly", Paul said. "Let me show you a video that the lead pastor, Dale Sinclair, made. This video was produced just three months ago."

Paul then turned on a projector, which showed the video on the screen.

Rohit watched as a man, whom he assumed was Dale Sinclair, smiled at the camera. He then spoke with a determined tone of voice.

"Greetings", Mr. Sinclair said. "I am Dale Sinclair. I am the lead pastor of New Hope Village Church at Mount Prospect, Illinois. If you are watching this tape, it means that myself among millions of other Christians have disappeared from the globe. You would also know that millions of young children and babies have vanished, seemingly without a trace. Those children and all the Christians that have been taken are now in heaven. For reference, look up 1 Corinthians 15: 51-57."

Rohit wrote down those verses in a small notepad. He would be sure to look at them later.

"These people would be literally taken from the Earth. This would cause for those left behind panic and chaos. It wouldn't surprise me if people committed suicide out of trauma and fear."

Rohit was watching the tape with both uncertainty and intrigue.

"God is causing all of these terrible circumstances to occur because he wants to get your attention. There may have been a lot of things that caused you to miss the Rapture. You may have been busy with work, or none of this was of any interest to you. But with the terrible events that have happened in the world as you're viewing this tape, you can be assured you still have another chance. I suggest you take full advantage of it immediately."

**Tony's POV**

Tony Cataldo was watching the tape, not wanting to believe that any of the statements that Dale Sinclair was making had any accuracy or truth. But he knew that his whole family was gone. It was like he had to make a decision very soon.

Sinclair continued talking and mentioned something about a leader from Europe that would brainwash and fool the remaining population still left in the world. Tony was feeling frustrated. Wasn't the disappearances of the millions of Christians bad enough? There were more terrible things to occur? Tony could hardly hide his disgust.

Paul then turned off the tape.

"I'm sure you know what you have to do now", he said.

Tony scoffed.

"This could be a scam", Tony sneered. "You could be using this disaster and tragedy for personal gain. Just to promote your religion."

Rohit glared at Tony.

"Show him some proper respect, he was generous enough to offer help", Rohit said.

"Oh of course _you_ would agree with him, Indian", Tony sneered at Rohit. "I'm sure you would love to join any religion that can help you through this disaster. There are plenty of religions in the world. What makes you think Christianity is the right one?"

"Look, Cataldo". Rohit said. He wasn't feeling friendly enough to call Tony by his first name. "We've all been through something traumatic. At least hear the man out."

"Whatever, Sharma", Tony said. "That doesn't mean anything."

"It's your choice to believe, Tony", Paul said. "But the fact that you came here right away after the disappearances shows me that you must have _some_ interest."

"It's kind of hard to show any interest in a certain religion when all of its members are running around killing people", Tony said. "And Sharma punched me in the nose and started a fight with me on Flight 248."

"Well, you provoked me on Flight 248", Rohit said. "You insulted my religion and used racial insults."

"I am definitely not the first person to have insulted you because of your race and religion", Tony said. "That doesn't give you a right to start attacking people."

Paul then decided to intervene before another confrontation occurred.

"I can pray with each of you individually if you want", Paul said. "Who wants to go first?"

Bill then raised his hand.

Eddie said, "I'll go after the pilot."

Rohit said, "Then I'll go."

Zoey said, "I want to pray too."

"Fair enough", Paul said. "Bill, you can go first. You can pray in a separate room for privacy."

Tony rolled his eyes.

**Bill's POV**

Bill was having some mixed feelings as he walked into the room with Paul. Bill would never have guessed a week earlier that he would be doing this. But with all the disasters that had occurred, he knew he would have little choice.

"So, what should I say to God?", Bill said.

"Just be open and honest with him", Paul said. "Tell him you're sorry, tell him you need his forgiveness. Ask Jesus to come into your life. If you need me to walk you through it…"

Bill shook his head. "I need to do this on my own."

Bill then knelt on the floor, letting his tears flow.

"God", Bill began. "I know I should have responded to you sooner. I'm sorry for neglecting you all of these years and for scoffing at my wife. I'm sorry that I pursued worldly pleasures. I'm sorry that I did so many horrible things. I apologize for my wrongdoings. I beg for your forgiveness. Please, Jesus, save me. I wished I had confessed sooner."

After Bill had finished praying, he got up.

Paul hugged Bill. "Welcome to the family of God."

Bill nodded. "Praying didn't take away my pain or grief, but I feel some relief. Will I see my wife again in heaven?"

"Yes", Paul said. "Either that or you might see her again on Earth, if you survive the next seven years."

**Eddie's POV**

Eddie Exton watched as Bill and Paul returned to the others.

"I finally did it", Bill said. "I prayed to become a believer."

"How do you feel?", Eddie asked.

"I feel like a new person", Bill said. "A new sense of peace. Something that should have happened a long time ago."

"Eddie, are you ready?", Paul asked.

"Yes", Eddie said. "I don't want to wait any longer."

Paul and Eddie walked to the separate room.

"Do you want me to pray with you?", Paul asked.

"Yes", Eddie said. "What do I have to do?"

"Start with something like this. God, I need you. I'm sorry for the wrongs I have done. I admit I am a sinner. I need your forgiveness and love. Please, come into my life. I accept Jesus. Please forgive me."

Eddie repeated the words, feeling choked with emotion.

"How do you feel?", Paul asked.

"I think I feel better", Eddie said. "So, I'm a Christian now?"

"Yes", Paul said.

**Rohit's POV**

Rohit watched as Eddie walked back into the room. Paul then said, "Rohit, are you ready?"

"Yes", Rohit said. "This is something I have to do."

Tony snorted. Rohit tried to ignore him.

Rohit and Paul then walked to the room.

"I know this is something that must be done, but I feel so worried. I feel so afraid. My father and brother are devout Muslims. They'll disown me."

"Rohit", Paul said. "You can't worry to much about what your family thinks. You're an adult now. You have to make your own decisions. You can't let your destiny or soul be affected."

Rohit nodded. "Okay. Okay. I can do this."

Rohit then kneeled on the floor.

"Jesus", Rohit said. "For many years, I have heard about you. I never wanted to act upon that decision for fear of being exiled from my family. But I don't want to worry any longer. I want to come to Christianity. I want to finally be free."

Rohit took a deep breath. He was fighting back sobs.

"God, please come into my life. Please help me. Jesus, I am a sinner. I need you. God, please forgive my transgressions and wrongdoings. Please allow me into your kingdom. Please, God."

Rohit pleaded with Jesus to show him mercy and give him understanding.

"I feel so much better", Rohit said. "Does this mean I am a Christian now?"

"Yes", Paul said. "But I hope you recognize the consequences that could occur."

"I can't worry about that now", Rohit said. "Like you said, I'm an adult now."

**Zoey's POV**

Zoey Harper then stood up when Paul asked her if she was ready to ask God for mercy.

Zoey went to the room and then knelt.

"Not going to lie, this feels kind of strange", Zoey said.

"I know it might seem that way", Paul said. "But times have become more dangerous than ever before. We shouldn't take any unnecessary risks. We could all face death at any time. It would be best to act wisely with our time."

Zoey then took a deep breath before praying.

"God, I don't even know where to begin", she said. "I know this is what Wishy would have wanted. He tried to warn me. He pleaded with me. He begged me to see the truth. I was too stubborn to accept the truth. But now, I don't want to wait any longer. I know now I should have acted upon this sooner, and I'm sorry it took something this devastating for me to realize the truth."

Zoey swallowed before continuing.

"I confess that Jesus is the son of God. I'm sorry for my sins and for all the bad things I did. God, I admit that I am a sinner. God, please come into my life. Please forgive me."

Zoey continued pleading with God for a few more seconds.

"Welcome to the family of God, Zoey", Paul said.

"I can't wait to see Wishy again", Zoey said. "I'm glad I finally came to Christ."

**Tony's POV**

"Are the rest of you ready?", Paul asked Sandy, Larry, Sylvester, Kade, and Tony.

"I'm flattered by all of this, in all honesty", Kade said. "But I'm still shocked by the disappearance of my sister, Kara. I'm sure that the explanations you and the other pastor gave have the most significance. But I still need some time."

"I need some time, too", Sandy asked. "A huge leap towards the Christian faith seems overwhelming."

"Yeah, me three", Sylvester said. "I was horrified when I found Jenna's and Sal's clothes. I know, after seeing Angel's death, that time seems to be very limited now, but I still need to think."

"I'm still at a loss after finding out that my wife, Jozie, disappeared. I just need some more time", Larry said.

"What about you, Tony?", Paul asked.

Tony seemed disgruntled. "I still think this stuff involving religion sounds nuts, but I'll think about it."

"Fair enough", Paul said. "It's your choice. But I wouldn't wait too long if I were you."

**Bill's POV**

"Thank you so much for your help, Paul", Bill said. "I'm going to go find one of the flight attendants from Flight 248, Sally Graves. Maybe I can talk to her about this stuff and see if she'll believe."

"I'll come with you", Eddie said. "Maybe we can convince Sally together."

Bill smiled at Eddie. Two minutes later, they were both in the car and heading towards Sally's apartment.

"So, how does it feel, being a born-again Christian?", Bill asked Eddie.

"It feels great", Eddie said. "I feel completely different. This is something I feel like I should have done a long time ago."

"I wonder if Sally will feel the same way", Bill said. "I feel so guilty for laughing at my wife. I miss her so badly. My son probably misses her even more."

"You think your son will become a believer?", Eddie asked.

"It's possible", Bill said. "I really hope so. I hope that all three of us can be reunited in heaven or maybe when Jesus returns."

Bill then showed a downcast expression. "Then again, the chances of all of us surviving seven years of destruction and turmoil seem unlikely."

"Anything could happen", Eddie said, trying to make Bill feel better.

Just then Bill's car had reached Sally's apartment.

Bill and Eddie walked out of the car. Bill rang the doorbell.

"Sally?", Bill asked. "It's me, Bill. I need to talk to you."

There was no response.

"I notice the door is unlocked", Eddie said, pointing to the slightly open door.

Bill pushed the door open, hoping to find the flight attendant. What he saw took his breath away.

Sally was hanging from the ceiling with a rope tied around her neck. Bill looked at Sally's eyes, which were blank and unmoving.

Bill took gasps of air and staggered.

"We need to call the police", Eddie exclaimed. But Bill knew that Sally was already dead. The police would not be able to help her.

IN MEMORIAM

**Sally Graves**


	6. Episode 6: Not the Answer

**Season 1, Episode 6: Not the Answer**

**Bill's POV**

Bill Parker thought what he was seeing was unexpected and surreal.

He had hoped to be able to speak to Sally Graves and inform her that there was still hope, that she could have comfort in the hope of heaven and Jesus despite the disaster that had just impacted the world. Bill had wanted to talk to hear and eradicate her fears.

Well, that hope was gone now. Rather than what he had hoped for, Bill instead saw the lifeless body of the flight attendant hanging from the ceiling. Bill knew that there would be much more death and dissonance to come.

Bill thought he was going to be sick.

"She committed suicide", Eddie Exton said, even though that was seemingly self-explanatory.

"What time will the police get here?", Bill asked.

"Should be around thirty minutes, maybe forty minutes. I would have expected them to arrive sooner, but with all the disappearances and accidents…you can fill in the blanks."

Eddie then pursed his lips. "I hate to make this worse, but if what Paul said is true, then we know Sally is not in heaven."

"I know", Bill said. He then shuddered. "I wanted her to believe. After the Rapture had occurred, she seemed really scared and nervous. She looked traumatized."

**Rohit's POV**

Rohit Sharma had mixed feelings. He was so glad he had finally prayed to accept Jesus. He was also afraid of how his father and brother would react when they found out.

Just then Rohit's phone rang. He checked the caller ID. It was his father!

Rohit picked up the phone and answered.

"Rohit!", Nikhil Sharma exclaimed. "Are you all right? People from all over the world disappeared."

"I've clearly noticed", Rohit replied sarcastically. "I'm not blind, you know."

Nikhil seemed to be feeling frustrated and irritated.

"Look, just tell me what happened to you when this disaster happened. I'm not in the mood for sarcasm."

"I was on a plane when it happened", Rohit said. "A number of the passengers on that plane disappeared."

Rohit took a deep breath.

He then said, "How is Rahul?"

"He's with me right now", Nikhil said. "Let me just bring him to the phone."

Nikhil had apparently covered the mouthpiece and yelled, "Rahul! It's your brother!"

Rahul then got on the phone.

"Rohit!", Rahul exclaimed. "I was so worried about you! People have disappeared. I can't seem to understand it."

"What do you think happened?", Rohit asked.

"I can't say with absolute certainty. There's a theory going around that God may have been responsible. I personally don't know what to believe."

"Can you put Father back on the line?", Rohit asked.

"Sure."

The phone was apparently given back to Nikhil.

"Well, Rohit, we can at least thank Allah that you managed to survive this debacle."

_Oh Dad, you have no idea_, Rohit thought.

"Dad?", Rohit asked. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Sure, son. What is it?"

Rohit took a deep breath, knowing that after this there was no turning back.

"Dad, I realized that the Christian God was behind the disappearances. I believed that Jesus is the Son of God. I prayed to him and asked his forgiveness. I became a Christian. I want you and Rahul to do the same."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Dad?", Rohit asked with uncertainty. "If you need to know how to become a Christian, I can probably…"

_Click_.

At first, Rohit wasn't sure what had happened. But then it hit him. His dad and brother had disowned him.

Rohit suspected that it was likely this would happen. But it still hurt.

Rohit sat down and sobbed. His troubles did not seem to be able to end.

**Bill's POV**

The police had arrived forty minutes after Bill Parker and Eddie Exton had notified them.

The police sergeant that had arrived, Ernie Wainwright, showed a grim expression when he ordered that Sally's body be transferred to the morgue.

"I can have an autopsy report done on her, although it is obvious to the human eye that she committed suicide. This current disaster certainly seems to have strongly affected the remaining citizens on Earth."

Bill wondered if Wainwright was willing to listen about God if he was informed about the truth.

"Mr. Wainwright, what do you think is the cause of all of this?", Bill asked.

"Honestly, it seems confusing and unclear", Wainwright responded. "I don't know what to say. Many people are saying it is Martians or aliens, or maybe another government somehow kidnapped these people out of thin air, or maybe some rocket scientist transported all the people that vanished into a black hole."

Bill then asked, "Can I tell you what I think?"

"Go ahead", Wainwright said.

Bill responded, "My wife, Allison, was a Christian. She was dedicated to her faith. She warned me a few times that Jesus was going to return for his followers some day in the future. I wouldn't listen to her. I was the pilot of a plane where many of the passengers disappeared. My son found Allison's clothes."

Wainwright sighed and looked at the ground. Bill glanced at Eddie, not sure what this meant.

"Look, sir… what's your name again?"

"Bill."

"Well, Bill, I don't want to sound rude or anything, but this stuff just isn't for me. I tried to stay away from anything related to Christianity. And if the Christian God is so loving, why is he causing all this pain and suffering? For what purpose?"

"You should come over to New Hope Village Church. The pastor that was left behind, Paul, he can really help you if you want it."

"Thank you for the offer", Wainwright said. "But my perspective still stands. Besides, I don't have time. I have to work around the clock, almost all day. Many people have vanished, and others were killed in subsequent accidents. Or, like in this case, committed suicide."

Wainwright and the officers left. Sally's body was transported to the morgue.

"I wonder how many more people are going to say the same thing", Eddie said.

Bill didn't even want to answer that question.

**Perry's POV**

Perry Warden was at his home, drinking several beers. He wasn't worried about the worldwide disappearances. He was angry. He had plans to carry out in England. He did not spend a year in the United States military, only to have his plans postponed by some so-called catastrophe that was probably a hoax created by the moronic Christians. It seemed laughable that the Christian rapture had taken place and that all the Christians disappeared right out of their clothes. It was ludicrous.

Perry wanted nothing to do with religion. It was the last thing he even wanted to think about. Perry had wanted to gain more work and experience. Christianity was not going to help him in any way that would benefit him.

Perry looked at the ground in disgust. This seriously couldn't be happening.

**Josh's POV**

Josh Grant was at home, stunned by what he was seeing on the news. Even though he was not religious and had no interest in converting to Christianity, he had to admit that the disappearances that just happened were interesting. That didn't mean he was going to change his lifestyle completely. He just wanted to think.

It felt so strange. Last week he wouldn't have cared about any of this. He wanted to try to avoid religion as much as possible. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder if he was wrong. He still hated Christianity, but he had to know the correlation that Jesus had with all the missing people from all around the world. He wanted to find out if perhaps, maybe the explanation behind the disappearances wasn't so silly as Perry and Tony thought it was. The missing passengers from Flight 248 weren't the only ones who had been taken.

Josh felt frightened. He suddenly wondered if God would show him any mercy. He had been a secular atheist for his entire life. During his 24 years, he had never felt inclined to think about the Christian God. Josh thought the Christians were all exclusive, hateful, and bigoted. He had tried to stay away from anything connected to Christianity. But with everything he was seeing in front of him, he was feeling dubious and uncertain.

Josh put his head in his hands. All he wanted to do was see a soccer game. He didn't want to have to handle any of this or think about this terrible debacle. It seemed too traumatic.

**Zoey's POV**

Zoey Harper was in her apartment, trying to think of the events that had happened the last few days. Her boyfriend, Wishy Walters, had disappeared along with millions of other people. Zoey had wanted nothing to do with Wishy's beliefs until the disappearances took place, which both Wishy and Paul had referred to as the Rapture. Zoey had prayed to become a believer when she had came to New Hope Village Church. It didn't seem to make sense to wait any longer. She had to take action.

Zoey then pulled out one of the Bibles that Wishy had given her. Zoey had kept it but never opened it, not being interested at the time. She decided to start by reading the first chapter of Genesis.

**String's POV**

String Becker was watching the news, still in disbelief after what had happened on Flight 248. He was in complete shock. That didn't mean he was going to all of a sudden have religious inclinations or commitments. He still needed to think. He didn't want to jump and make a huge decision when he had work and other obligations.

String was never religious. He had co-workers that believed in God. String would at least give them credit for not trying to shove their beliefs down his throat. At least they didn't try to proselytize to him and try to convert him. But String was sure that they had disappeared by now.

String still didn't want to pray to become a Christian. He wanted to think about it before jumping to any major conclusions. He still wanted more time.

**Kade's POV**

Kade Gordonhurst was still upset that his sister had vanished. He had come to New Hope Village Church for answers. But he was also still in mourning.

Kade had exchanged cell phone numbers with Sandy Comstock and Sylvester Coddmyer. He called both of them and asked if they wanted to come with him to New Hope Village Church. They both said yes.

Kade drove both of them to the church. When they were on the way there, he said, "I don't want to wait any longer. I have to do this."

Kade, Sylvester, and Sandy all arrived at the church. When they knocked on the door, Paul Karoski arrived at the door.

"Paul, we came here to pray to God", Kade said. "Can you show us how to do it?"

"Sure", Paul said. He led the three of them into the basement.

Kade went into the separate room first. He knelt on the floor and started praying.

"God, Kara tried to warn me about this. I wished I had listened. I'm begging you, please forgive me…"

Kade choked up as he begged God for forgiveness and proclaimed that he knew Jesus rose from the dead. Kade asked God to show him mercy and begged to be saved.

After Kade poured his heart out, he said, "Amen."

He took a deep breath. "I feel so much better."

Sandy then walked into the separate room next.

Sandy prayed to Jesus and asked for forgiveness. He asked to be saved.

Then, Sylvester walked into the room and prayed.

"So, how do all of you feel?", Paul asked.

"I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my chest", Sandy said.

"Yeah, me too", Sylvester said. "I can't wait to see Jenna and Sal again, though I know it will take seven years."

"You know, if you guys stick around, I'll start talking and teaching about this seven-year period, also known as the Tribulation", Paul said.

"That will be great", Kade said. "Now we just have to convince Larry and Tony."

**Eddie's POV**

Eddie Exton was also shocked by the fact that Sally Graves had committed suicide. Bill drove Eddie to his home. When Eddie reached his bedroom, he started pacing and trying to think.

Eddie decided to call Gordon Bernall, the passenger from Flight 248 who had seemed nervous. Eddie looked up the latter's name in the phone book. He lived only six blocks away.

So, Eddie jogged towards Gordon's home. He hoped he could speak to the man and somehow talk to him about God. He just wanted to take away the man's fears.

Eddie knocked on Gordon's front door. There was no answer. Eddie noticed that the front door was slightly unlocked. Eddie pushed the door open.

"Gordon?", Eddie called out. "I don't mean to trespass or bother you, but this is an emergency."

There was no answer.

Eddie decided to walk up the stairs to one of the bedrooms. He opened one of the doors on the right. When he did, he was in sudden disbelief.

Eddie opened it and gasped when he saw Gordon Bernall lying on the floor, with a bullet wound in his forehead. A gun was lying on the floor right next to Gordon's dead body.

Eddie thought he was going to be sick. Two dead bodies in one day? This was unbelievable.

_Not again_, Eddie thought.

IN MEMORIAM

**Gordon Bernall**

**Author's Note: Also, if anyone is considering suicide, please don't follow through with it. Suicide is not the answer. There are people that love you and care about you. Suicide will not take away your pain. Every single one of us can get through life. We can overcome.**


	7. Episode 7: Beating Heart

**Season 1, Episode 7: Beating Heart**

**Eddie's POV**

Eddie Exton felt like he wanted to puke.

If the disappearances of millions of people from around the world, including fellow passengers from Flight 248, weren't daunting enough, the shock of having the find the bodies of two suicide victims sure was. Eddie didn't know if the next seven years were going to be like this. Would he find the dead body of a friend or acquaintance every day? He knew that Paul mentioned immense amounts of death and destruction would occur. He dreaded that things would get ugly eventually.

Eddie decided to phone the police, even though he knew that it would take a while for them to respond. He wondered if there would be a day when there would be no police officers at all.

**Rohit's POV**

Rohit sighed heavily as he flipped through channels on his television. Most of them were either talking about the disappearances, or showing clips of people that had vanished. Rohit then found a channel with the president of the United States, Rudy Calhoun, in the middle of a press conference. Rohit watched as Rudy was talking with and shaking hands with the president of Romania, a handsome man in his mid-thirties named Nicolae Carpathia.

_Nicolae Carpathia?_ Rohit thought. _That name seems familiar, but for some reason I have no memory of him._

"It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Carpathia", President Calhoun said. "I just wish we could have spoken during a better time, given the circumstances."

"I am more than happy to offer my support", Carpathia said. "In fact, I feel ecstatic and jubilant. I think we will see great progress as we work together."

Rohit watched for a few more minutes, knowing that no matter what was said during that press conference, it wouldn't bring back the people that had vanished. He then checked the clock and decided to drive back to New Hope Village Church.

**Joyce's POV**

Joyce Dancer was not feeling pleased. She had hoped to be able to interview celebrities and England and bring back something interesting for her magazine company. With the latest predicament that just occurred, it would seemingly be a while before anything productive and vigorous would occur. It really aggravated Joyce.

Joyce paced back and forth in her room, still wondering if she would be able to do anything useful.

Just then her cell phone rang. Joyce immediately answered.

"Hello, who's this?", Joyce asked.

"Joyce, it's Nora. I know the disappearances of all of those people is definitely affecting your daily routine."

"Tell me about it."

"Well, I have another task for you. A change of plans. Find out everything you can about that hunk of a politician, Nicolae Carpathia. He seems like such an impressive person."

Joyce knew that Nora Grimsby was a strict woman who refused to fool around or play games. If she wanted to give any celebrity relevance, Joyce knew that she thought they were worth writing about.

Joyce turned on the television. There, she found Carpathia talking with Rudy Calhoun. She could only wonder how Carpathia could possibly comfort anyone watching this.

**Eddie's POV**

When the police arrived, Eddie was surprised to see Ernie Wainwright.

"We meet again", Ernie said in a tired tone of voice. "What are the chances?"

"Seems pretty high given the current disaster and how it's traumatized all the survivors and those left behind", Eddie said.

"Like I said to you and to your friend", Ernie said. "I currently have no interest in converting to religion. I need time to think and wrap my mind around the situation that I am faced with."

"It's understandable", Eddie said. "We should exchange cell phone numbers, just in case."

"If it makes you feel better", Wainwright said. The two men then exchanged cell phone numbers.

After Gordon's body had been removed and the officers left, Eddie then decided to drive to New Hope Village Church. He had too much to think about and much information he needed to discuss with Paul Karoski.

**Pete's POV**

Pete Alessandra was still heartbroken over the deaths of his family. He didn't know if he would ever feel truly happy again. His misery never seemed to end.

Pete was too angry to think about making peace with God. He was hurt, he was scared, and he was alone. And he had no one to turn to.

**Larry's POV**

Larry Levine thought about his wife, Jozie, and their sons, Marcus and Kyle. Larry missed them more than anything. He was crushed and heartbroken over their absence. He had sobbed for a few hours until his tears dried, then cried some more. He didn't know how much longer he would be in mourning.

Larry knew that Jozie would have wanted him to get right with God. He knew that he couldn't delay what he was supposed to do. He couldn't wait any longer. If he wanted to see his wife and children again, he knew he would have to pray to become a believer.

A week ago, he never would have guessed he would be doing this. It was amazing how his perspective changed just from the terrifying events of one night.

So, Larry drove his car to New Hope Village Church. When he entered the building, he found Paul Karoski with Bill Parker, Rohit Sharma, Sandy Comstock, Kade Gordonhurst, Sylvester Coddmyer, Zoey Harper, and Eddie Exton.

"Hello Larry!", Paul said. "So wonderful for you to join us."

Larry said, "Paul, I want to pray to become a believer. My wife, Jozie, tried to warn me about Jesus and God. I didn't want to listen at first, but now I'm ready. Show me what I have to do."

"All right, then", Paul said. "First start by telling God that you are sorry. Ask him for his forgiveness and say that you believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Tell him that you believe Jesus took the penalty for the sin of mankind."

Larry prayed that entire prayer, word for word.

"I feel so much better", he said.

"Welcome to the family", Paul said.

**Bill's POV**

_A few hours earlier…_

Bill was with his son, Ben. Bill told his son what had happened.

Ben then said, "Dad, I'm happy for you, but I don't think this religious stuff is for me."

Bill said, "You know this is what Allison would have wanted, Ben. She would want you to believe when there is still time."

"I know", Ben said. "But I need to think. It just seems so weird at the moment."

When Ben left to go to his bedroom, Bill looked down at the floor, slightly weeping.

**Tony's POV**

Tony Cataldo was at the local grocery store that was closest to his house.

Well, life had to go on. Even though the world had experienced an unexpected and terrifying event, he knew he couldn't be completely focused on mourning forever. Eventually, he would have to divert his attention on something healthy and productive, something that could benefit him.

Tony was at the cashier. He had ordered four cartons of milk and three boxes of cereal.

"That will be $22.49, sir", Cory Pratt said, who was working behind the cashier. Tony and Cory had talked a few times when the former had shopped at that store previously.

Tony gave Cory $25 dollars.

Cory was going to give Tony the change that he was owed when all of a sudden, a large man in his mid-40s ran into the store.

The man charged towards the counter and pointed a gun at Cory's forehead.

"This is a holdup!", the man shouted. "Give me all the money in that cashier!"

"It's against the rules", Cory said. "I will have to ask you to leave, or I will call the police."

The man with the gun laughed. "You think the police will have time to stop me with all the people that vanished? Don't be stupid and just give me the money."

Cory then said, "That's it, I'm getting security."

"Are you deaf?", the man rudely asked. "I just ordered you to give me the money in that machine. If you don't, there will be devastating consequences."

"When the police get here, they'll…"

The man with the gun fired the gun at Cory's forehead. Tony watched with horror as Cory fell to the ground, clearly dead. Some of his brains seemed to fall to the floor.

"What an idiot", the man said, sneering. "He couldn't even follow a simple order."

Tony watched the actions of the murderer, not even knowing what to do. There were currently five other people in that store. Tony watched as a security guard walked from the back of the store. His name tag read, "Zachary Monroy".

Zachary Monroy reached in his pocket and pulled out a gun.

"Don't even try it", the murderer yelled, as he fired three bullets into Monroy's chest, killing him.

Tony looked at Zachary's body, feeling like he wanted to vomit. He had already been through so much with the disappearances and losing his family. Now, he had to watch this diabolical crime occur.

An old woman that was in the store was crying.

"Will you shut up?!", the man screamed. "Don't make me kill you as well!"

The woman continued wailing.

"What is your name?", the killer asked.

The woman then replied, "My name is Lisa Marcotte. I beg you, please don't murder me!"

"Too late", the murderer said, laughing. He then shot Lisa in the face, killing her. Tony could have sworn he saw some of Lisa's teeth fall to the ground.

The killer continued taking more cash. Tony thought the killer had acquired $700 from the heist.

Tony watched as he saw a boy he recognized from his neighborhood carefully walk behind the shelves. This boy was a twelfth grader at Prospect High School. His name was Jack Mazzeo.

Jack walked slowly towards the entrance, then ran as fast as he could, hoping to escape.

The murderer fired his gun five times, killing Jack.

After the killer had taken all the cash he wanted, he then watched as another security guard ran towards the counter. Tony was able to briefly read his name tag, which read "Ian Pullin".

The killer shot and killed Ian instantly with one bullet to the head.

The killer then walked up to a man in his 50s that hadn't said anything up until then.

"What is your name?", the murderer asked.

"Compton Reno", the man said. "Why?"

"Because I want those to be your last words. A reminder of how insignificant you really are."

The murderer shot and killed Compton.

Tony couldn't believe what he was seeing. This man had not only robbed a store, but had even killed six people in the process. What was wrong with the world?

The murderer then looked at Tony.

"Are you…are you going to kill me?", he asked.

The murderer then laughed. "No, you're too pathetic. You're weak. What I did here clearly shows that."

"Who are you?", Tony asked. "And why are you doing this?"

"My name is Silas Tysens", the man said. "The disappearances should be enough to show that the world is changing permanently. Crime will be the way of the world."

Just then three police officers burst into the room, with their guns drawn. Before Tysens could do anything, one of the officers shot him in the foot.

"Stay on the ground", the officer yelled. "I recognize you, Silas Tysens. I've arrested you five times. Two times for drinking and driving, once for petty theft, once for selling drugs, and once for street-racing."

"I will kill you one day, Klebold!", Tysens yelled. "You won't be seeing the last of me, Lawrence!"

"That's enough!", Lawrence Klebold yelled. "You will speak to me in a respectful manner. Take him away, gentlemen."

The other two officers handcuffed Tysens and escorted him to a police car.

Tony was breathing so heavily. He didn't know what to think. He had seen so much death in just a few minutes, and he was the lone survivor in that store.

"Thank you so much", Tony said. "I thought I was going to die."

"These criminals are running around like they're suddenly in charge after the disappearances", Klebold said. "It's unacceptable and distasteful. I was in Wisconsin, and several calls came in about crime in the Mount Prospect area. I was walking around the neighborhood when I heard gunshots."

Klebold then told the officers to bring the bodies to the morgue for identification.

"We'll have to talk to you later so you can describe what happened", Klebold said.

"I'll explain", Tony replied. "But now I need to go somewhere."

Tony ran to the car, with his heart pounding heavily. He was feeling so fearful. Literally no location on Earth was safe, given the recent events that occurred.

Tony drove the car as fast as he could to New Hope Village Church. He pounded on the door as hard as he could.

"Somebody! Help me!", he yelled.

Paul Karoski then opened the door.

"Tony, are you all right?", Paul asked.

Tony was gasping, not even being able to speak properly.

"It's okay, calm down", Paul said.

"I just saw something horrifying", Tony said. "People were being killed right in front of me. I need to ask God for his forgiveness. I need him to show me mercy. Please Paul, what do I have to do?"

"Just say something like this. God, I'm sorry for my transgressions. I admit that Jesus rose from the dead and he is who he said he is. I believe that he paid the penalty that I deserved. Forgive me."

Tony said all those words, sobbing and clearly feeling remorseful.

"Tony, you'll be fine", Paul said. Paul then hugged Tony, trying to calm him down.

Bill and Eddie then walked over to see what was happening.

Tony then decided to walk with them to speak to everyone else.

"I was in the grocery store, shopping. Then this man, someone named Silas Tysens, ran into the store and started demanding money. Silas killed six people and stole more than 700 dollars. Then the police came in and arrested him."

Tony then took a deep breath. "Before he was arrested, Silas told me about the world changing forever and crime being the forefront of attention."

"Well, he was right about that", Paul said. "During the time period known as the Tribulation, the crime rate and death rate will increase like anything."

Tony then looked at Rohit.

"Listen, Sharma…I mean, Rohit. I shouldn't have said those things to you. From the bottom of my heart, I apologize."

Tony then held out his hand to Rohit.

Rohit hesitated, then accepted it.

"It's all good, Tony", Rohit said. "We have to prepare for this Tribulation period."

"I'm glad to see that we're all getting along", Paul said. "Now I will explain what this Tribulation period is all about."

IN MEMORIAM

**Cory Pratt**

**Zachary Monroy**

**Lisa Marcotte**

**Jack Mazzeo**

**Ian Pullin**

**Compton Reno**


	8. Episode 8: Wise as Serpents

**Season 1, Episode 8: Wise as Serpents**

**Bill's POV**

Bill Parker listened carefully as Paul Karoski explained what would occur during the Tribulation. Bill might have been willing to ignore God during his previous 42 years, but this was definitely cementing his attention. He had been so heartbroken over losing his wife in the Rapture. He might as well try to learn about what was supposed to happen next. Even if the events that was supposed to affect the world were as bad as Paul said they would be, he would at least attempt to be prepared for the foretold events that were supposed to take place.

"The Tribulation is a seven-year period that occurs between the Rapture, which just happened, and the Glorious Appearing, which is the second return of Jesus Christ to the Earth. During this period, twenty-one judgments from God are supposed to take place. This will happen in three sets of seven."

Bill looked at the other eight people that were in the room. Rohit Sharma seemed to be holding on to every word, clearly captivated. Kade Gordonhurst seemed nervous and transfixed. There was no doubt he would be worrying about what would occur during the Tribulation. Tony Cataldo…well, Tony certainly seemed to be showing little emotion.

Tony's story was definitely interesting and enthralling. Bill knew the mere sight of Sally Graves's dead body was revolting. But Tony was in a room where six other people had been killed. Out of the ten people in that room with a story to tell, his definitely seemed to be the most nightmarish. It was possible that Tony would be dealing with survivor's guilt. Bill hoped that Tony wouldn't hold himself accountable. It certainly wasn't his fault, but the memories of that awful incident would certainly not be erased from his mind anytime soon.

Bill knew that if everything that Paul was saying was true, daily life would be doleful and forlorn. Misery would be immense for all of them.

"I know that what I'm saying might frighten and astound all of you. But when millions of people disappear from all around the world and we've been left behind, there has to be some logical explanation behind it. Now that all ten of us have become believers in Jesus Christ, we should already be aware of the events that will take place and the great deceiver that will put the entire world under his spell."

"After seeing two dead bodies, I can only imagine things getting worse from this point on", Eddie Exton said.

"Unfortunately, that is true", Paul said. "I don't want to make this difficult to hear, but we got ourselves into a huge hole to climb out of. I'll start explaining with the Seal Judgments, which are the first of the three sets. This can be seen in Revelation 6. The first seal is a white horse, which Christians believe represent the Antichrist. The second seal is a red horse, which represents war. I spoke with Dale briefly about this before the Rapture. Before the first 18 months of the Tribulation are complete, the Antichrist, whoever he is, will face opposition and defiance from three rulers in the South. Millions of people will lose their lives. I think this will be World War III."

Paul looked at each one of them briefly. Bill didn't know what to think. Nothing positive seemed to be coming from that prophecy.

"The third seal is a black horse. This horse represents inflation and famine. Mass starvation will occur all around the world. Those who are affluent and wealthy will be able to preserve their wealth. Those who are impecunious and penniless will starve to death because of the insufficient amount of food and supplies in their possession."

"This changes everything", Sandy Comstock said.

"Indeed", Paul said. "I wouldn't be surprised to see the world much different from what it used to look like."

"Does this mean that we should gather food and crops and stash them away somewhere safe?", Sylvester Coddmyer asked.

"It would be recommended", Paul said. "The danger will only get more rampant. The Antichrist will not tolerate believers in Jesus speaking out against him. It will be a dangerous time period for all of us. I'm just letting all of you know this, right now. This will be far from easy. It was never promised to be easy."

Bill felt humbled. He was sure the others in that room felt the same way.

"Things get worse from here. Even more downhill, apparently. The fourth seal is a pale horse. This horse represents death. A plague will infect the entire world. The fifth seal judgment represents the numerous believers that will be martyred. This amount could reach millions. The sixth seal judgment will be God's wrath against the world. This will happen in the form of a worldwide earthquake. By this time, one-fourth of the world's population that was left behind at the Rapture will be dead. The seventh seal judgment introduces the seven Trumpet Judgments. That will start in the second quarter in this seven-year period."

Bill took a deep breath. "That's a lot of information to process."

"Indeed", Paul said. "As painful and complex as it might seem, it is the truth of what is to come. It's challenging, no doubt, but we should at least prepare ourselves. God's enemies will rise in prominence and power, and that certainly won't be pleasant."

Zoey Harper then asked, "What are the odds of someone living through all of these terrible events you are talking about?"

"Sadly, not that high", Paul said. "There's ten of us here. I don't want to scare all of you, but most of us might not even live to see the Trumpet Judgments."

"I thought I was going to die today", Tony said. "When I saw Tysens murdering those people, I thought it would be over. I'm just thankful that God allowed me to live."

"It shows we shouldn't take life for granted", Paul said. "Let us conclude our meeting with a prayer. I suspect we'll be doing a lot of that in the days to come."

"Who do you think the Antichrist could be?", Bill asked.

"I can't say for sure", Paul said. "At this point, it could be anyone. But we should keep our eyes and ears open. As they say, be wise as serpents but gentle as doves."

After prayer, Bill headed to the car and drove home. What was he going to tell Ben? This certainly seemed to be frightening. He didn't want to scare his son and the only family member he had left, but he knew that his son would have to know about the frightening details of the events and continuity they were forced to face.

**Hiram**

Hiram Calhoun was one of the senators representing the state of Illinois. He was the younger brother of Rudy Calhoun, the president of the United States. Hiram was stunned about the worldwide disappearances, like many across the world. So far, he hadn't given his opinion or perspective about the situation. He didn't want to talk about it. He especially wanted _nothing_ to do with religion. It seemed so toxic.

Hiram then received a phone call.

"Hiram?", Rudy asked. "How are you feeling?"

"Not too well", Hiram said. "I've gotten so many phone calls from frightened people asking for my opinion about the disappearances. It's been blowing up all over social media sites. I just don't know what to do."

"Hiram, there's something I need to confess."

"What is it?", Hiram asked. "Go ahead, you can tell me."

Hiram heard Rudy take a deep breath.

"Hiram, I've heard about God and Jesus all of my life. But I've wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. But when all of those people disappeared, I knew that some of the things that the Christians had been saying had some relevance. Hiram, I became a Christian. I bent on my knees and asked Jesus to forgive me."

Hiram couldn't believe this. Now his brother was a Christian?

_I could just vomit_, Hiram thought.

"Hiram? Are you still there?"

"I'm here", Hiram said. "But don't think I'm going to suddenly beg Jesus for mercy, like some coward. Who was he, anyway? Just some poor carpenter who couldn't even save his own life or stop the Roman people from controlling Israel."

"I'm just trying to help", Rudy said.

"I appreciate that", Hiram said. "But I'm not going to beg God for forgiveness and become a Christian just like that. I'm not some religious nutcase. This stuff clearly isn't for me. In case you haven't noticed, we both have political matters to deal with, but you especially. Try to concentrate on comforting the public."

Hiram then hung up the phone. He didn't want to think about religion. It seemed too weird and too pathetic.

Hiram had been present at the press conference where Nicolae Carpathia had talked to Rudy. Hiram hoped to meet the Romanian president and speak to him personally. This man certainly seemed impressive and knew how to handle situations.

**Perry's POV**

Perry Warden was at home, still feeling displeased with his current situation. He had no interest in turning to religion. It was the last thing on his mind. The disappearances certainly had delayed his plans and irritated him to a vast extent. He certainly wasn't ecstatic or joyful about any of this. He didn't see anything funny or humorous about millions of people vanishing and everyone else left behind in a state of panic.

Perry would never want to bow in front of the Christian God. He would much rather spit in his face for putting him through all of this stress and chaos in the first place.

Perry decided to turn on the television. When he did, he noticed that the camera was showing live coverage of the President of the United States speaking with the President of Romania, Nicolae Carpathia.

"It is so wonderful and thoughtful of you to come to this country during this difficult time", Rudy Calhoun said. "What do you think of the United States so far?"

"This is a radiant and superlative nation", Carpathia said. "I feel blessed and privileged to be able to come here. When I was growing up in Romania, I had always had admiration and respect for the United States. I have to acknowledge, there is something that is indeed special about this country and the people here. Despite the recent tragedy that has afflicted our world and left so many heartbroken, I have a feeling that we will get through this. Together. We have to remember unity. How astonished I was when I studied about the history of the United Nations during my years in school. I was mesmerized. I wanted to know more. Study more about it. Politics became a passion if not an obsession. I was so captivated by it. The story of the official birth and establishment of The United Nations on October 24, 1945, still warms my heart to this day. To say that I care about The United Nations is quite an understatement."

Carpathia chuckled when he said that last part.

An older man and a woman rushed near Carpathia. The woman embraced Carpathia and they briefly kissed.

"May I ask who these two are?", President Calhoun asked. "Not trying to be discourteous."

"This is my childhood friend and closest comrade, Salvatore Corsetti. And this is my girlfriend, Aurora Pichler."

"Sorry to bother", Aurora said. "Please continue."

Corsetti and Pichler found their seats in the crowd.

"It is never bothersome, my love. Anyway, continuing where I left off. I am concerned with the well-being of the United Nations. I want to see all the countries that are part of this council to be able to cooperate in harmony. I think the human race has evolved in an immense measure in the last 100 years. Several countries that are part of the United Nations have had discord, conflicts, and bloodshed between each other. We were so eager to attack first and think later. Where was the compassion, the empathy? Where was the promise of peace, the symbol representing brotherhood? Many countries sadly have to acknowledge that they each have their own hostilities and butchery. While the past must remain the past, we can at least try to work together. At least try to have some measure of peace."

Perry never had a high opinion about many politicians. He often viewed them as hypocrites and phonies. He thought almost all of them were fraudulent and dishonest. They made promises, but could never seem to follow through with them for some reason.

However, Carpathia seemed different. What else did he have to say? He had to find out more.

**Tony's POV**

Tony Cataldo was watching the live coverage of President Calhoun speaking with Carpathia. The entire crowd, or at least most of them, seemed to be completely focused on the Romanian president.

Tony was impressed by the way Carpathia spoke and addressed the crowd. He seemed to have vast wisdom beyond his years. He seemed intelligent, astute, and insightful. He clearly seemed like a voice people needed to be able to hear during the worst days of the world.

_But if he's so smart, how did he miss the Rapture?_ Tony thought to himself. _Does he know the truth behind what happened? Is he willing to align with Christ or with God?_

In any case, the man certainly seemed to have God-given talents and aptitude. How was he able to do it? For someone that had just arrived in America and had never personally been to the United Nations, he seemed to be aware of a lot of occurrences behind the scenes and the inner workings of the United Nations.

Tony didn't think that was a problem. What was wrong with being smart? They _needed_ smart people. The entire world was going downhill. And if some Antichrist was supposed to terrorize the whole world, they needed someone to stand up to him. Carpathia seemed to be the perfect choice as a contender. He seemed to be proud of the numerous accomplishments of the United Nations.

Carpathia was currently talking about the history of the United Nations, which had been considered with care and dedication.

"51 nations were proudly represented at the meetings of the General Assembly in London on January 10, 1946. The facility for the current headquarters of the United Nations finished construction on October 9, 1952. A foreign minister from Norway was elected as the first UN secretary-general on February 1, 1946. On November 29, 1947, the General Assembly approved a resolution to partition Palestine, which led to the creation of the state of Israel. On November 7, 1956, the very first United Nations Peacekeeping Force was concocted to put an end to the Suez Crisis. In 1960, 16 new states from Africa joined the United Nations."

Tony was intrigued by the information Carpathia had learned about the United Nations. It was evident that he loved the United Nations. If he didn't care about it or had no interest, he would not have spent years studying about it.

_He certainly seems to have good intentions_, Tony thought. _The Antichrist will be shaking when he meets him._

**Bill's POV**

Bill was drinking coffee in the dining room. Then he heard the television turn on and Ben shout, "Dad, you have to see this!"

Bill rushed into the living room. "What happened, Ben?"

"Dad, everyone's been talking about this live coverage of this guy from some European country, Romania I think, talking to the president. The Romanian guy seems impressive and smart. He's got the attention of that entire crowd."

Bill saw the name of the Romanian president on television, NICOLAE CARPATHIA, in bold letters.

Bill watched as Carpathia recited the history of the United Nations. Bill had to admit that was formidable and awe-inspiring.

Carpathia then said, "It is with a heavy heart that I have to express my sorrow over the absence over the many people that should be in this very room. I weep over the representatives of the United Nations who were taken in the disappearances. The United Nations is able to have common goals of peace, brotherhood, amiability, affability, and tranquility. From lands distant and near they will be at the UN headquarters. They will be from Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan…"

**String's POV**

String Becker was watching Carpathia on television, clearly thinking this was a man that deserved respect and attention. He seemed to know exactly what he was talking about. Even though String had never heard about Carpathia prior to that day, he already seemed to have respect for the man.

"The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi…"

**Kade's POV**

Kade Gordonhurst was watching the television, clearly blown away by Carpathia's intelligence. How was he doing this?

"Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, The Central African Republic, Chad, The Second Chapter of the United Nations Charter, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, The Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, The Czech Republic…"

**Zoey's POV**

Zoey Harper was watching the television, listening intently to Carpathia. Despite his youth and the fact that he had never visited the United Nations, he seemed to have extensive knowledge of each and every country that was involved with the UN. The man spoke clearly and distinctly, being heard by every person in that room and everyone watching him on television.

"Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, The Dominican Republic…"

**Joyce's POV**

Joyce Dancer was amazed by Carpathia's words on television. It was apparent that the Romanian president was garnering more respect from the United States citizens, especially from the people from Illinois that were in that room. Carpathia's voice rose when he reached the nations beginning with the letter 'E'.

"East Timor! Ecuador! Egypt! El Salvador! The Republic of Equatorial Guinea! Eritrea! Estonia! Eswatini! Ethiopia!"

**Sylvester's POV**

Sylvester Coddmyer still missed Jenna and Sal. But Carpathia's words seemed to temporarily comfort him.

"Fiji! Finland! France!"

**Larry's POV**

Larry Levine was moved by Carpathia's words.

"Gabon! The Gambia! Georgia! Germany! Ghana! Greece! Grenada! Guatemala! Guinea! Guinea-Bissau! Guyana!"

**Josh's POV**

Josh Grant was watching Carpathia with admiration. Finally, something positive seemed to be on the news for the first time since the disappearances.

"Haiti! Honduras! Hungary!"

**Rohit's POV**

Rohit Sharma was watching Carpathia, clearly filled with respect as Carpathia was naming countries in the United Nations.

"Iceland! India!"

Rohit raised his fist in the air, clearly glad that Carpathia had mentioned the name of his birth nation. It seemed Carpathia respected other nations and other cultures. This was a voice it seemed Rohit could trust.

"Indonesia! Iran! Iraq! The Republic of Ireland! Israel! Italy! Ivory Coast!"

**Pete's POV**

Pete Alessandra knew that it would take a while to get over the deaths of his family. Seeing Carpathia speak with seemingly such determination and passion seemed to be encouraging.

"Jamaica! Japan! Jordan! Kazakhstan! Kenya! Kiribati! Laos! Latvia! Lebanon! Lesotho! Liberia! Libya! Liechtenstein! Lithuania! Luxembourg!"

**Sandy's POV**

Sandy Comstock watched as Carpathia recited the names of the countries in the United Nations. The man never stuttered and never mispronounced the names of the countries. This was surprising. How was he able to do this? How was he gaining positive attention?

"Serbia! Seychelles! Sierra Leone! Singapore! Slovakia! Slovenia! Solomon Islands! Somalia! South Africa! South Korea! South Sudan! Spain! Sri Lanka! Sudan! Suriname! Sweden! Switzerland! Syria!"

Sandy waited until Carpathia reached the U's.

"Uganda! Ukraine! The United Arab Emirates! The United Kingdom! The United States of America!"

Even though Sandy was just watching on television, he stood up and clapped, along with many other people that were physically in that room.

**Joyce's POV**

Joyce knew she had to get an interview with Carpathia. Her magazine company would love it. Especially Nora Grimsby.

**Hiram's POV**

Hiram was in the building where his brother was talking to Carpathia. He knew he would have to talk to Carpathia face-to-face. How he would have loved to shake his hand!

**Sandy's POV**

Sandy watched as Carpathia said, "Zambia! Zimbabwe!"

Other than the disappearances, this had to be one of the most shocking events he had witnessed. He was filled with awe at how one man had this much knowledge and could gain this much respect in such a short amount of time.

Carpathia then went on to talk about every secretary-general in the history of the United Nations. He recited their respective histories and verbally listed the dates in which they served their tenures, not just the years. He mentioned all eighteen United Nations agencies. It wasn't really a surprise that he had become popular and loved by those who had seen him so far.

Sandy knew that if he could write about Carpathia for _Global Weekly_, it would draw in a lot of readers.

Sandy decided to call Paul.

"Have you heard about Carpathia? It's been going around social media."

"I have", Paul said.

"What do you think?"

"He seems impressive", Paul said. "I will have to look more into his history. We can't trust everyone we see. The world is an unpleasant place. As they say, we have to be wise as serpents but gentle as doves."


	9. Episode 9: Gentle as Doves

**Season 1, Episode 9: Gentle as Doves**

**Bill's POV**

Bill Parker thought about Carpathia's speech throughout the rest of the day. He had so many conflicting thoughts. He didn't know what to think. Bill had never even heard about the Romanian president before, yet he could just tell that Carpathia was a suitable choice for a leader. Bill had to wonder how the Antichrist would handle that.

Bill planned to call Marlene Kingston and ask her about her perspective on the disappearances. Just then, Bill's cell phone rang. He answered it. It was Tony Cataldo.

"Mr. Parker?", Tony asked. "Can you meet me at the fast food place three blocks from the church?"

Bill had to wonder what this was about.

**Tony's POV**

Tony Cataldo waited at the fast food restaurant. He saw Bill Parker and Eddie Exton walk through the door. He motioned for both of them to come over.

"I got your phone call, Tony", Bill said. "Is there something you needed?"

Tony took a deep breath.

"There is. Today is Silas Tysens's trial. I'm supposed to be called on as a witness. I just called you two for emotional support."

Tony took several breaths. It seemed like he was going to cry.

"I don't know if I can do this", Tony said. "I just feel so much pressure. I'm going to have to face the same man that murdered six people in front of my very eyes. It's going to be miserable, I can tell."

"We'll be there for you, Tony", Eddie said. "We'll give you the support you need."

"I will do the same", a voice said.

Tony, Bill, and Eddie turned to see who had said that. It was Rohit Sharma.

"You'd really do that, Rohit?", Tony asked. "After everything I said and the fight on the plane?"

"Look Tony, you already apologized. I was also wrong for my actions. I never should have punched you."

Rohit took a deep breath before continuing.

"Look, we now worship the same God. We're supposed to be spiritual brothers. We have to avoid petty squabbles and fights. We have to look out for each other. All is forgiven. We just have to stick together from this point forward."

"Thank you", Tony said.

Bill then cleared his throat.

"Do we have to change our clothes for the trial?"

"It would be best to wear respectable clothes at the trial", Tony said.

**Tony's POV**

Tony, Bill, Eddie, and Rohit went to their respective homes and all changed into suits. The four men then headed into Bill's car for Tysens's trial.

The four men then sat in the audience, waiting for the trial to commence.

The judge, Howard Fasano, then approached the desk and banged his gavel.

"Bring in the defendant", Fasano said.

Silas Tysens was escorted into the courtroom. His legs were chained and shackled. He was also handcuffed. Tony took a deep breath.

After Tysens sat down, Fasano then explained the charges against the murderer.

"Silas Tysens, you are accused of committing an armed robbery at a grocery store in Mount Prospect. You are also charged with ruthlessly murdering Cory Pratt, Zachary Monroy, Lisa Marcotte, Jack Mazzeo, Ian Pullin, and Compton Reno…six people in all. You were also reported to have stolen over seven hundred dollars from that same store. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty", Tysens said.

_Just what I expected_, Tony thought. _That's not surprising._

The prosecutor, Brock Stag, then said, "We would like to call Lawrence Klebold to the stand as a witness. He was the police chief that arrested Mr. Tysens."

Tony watched as Lawrence Klebold walked to the stand.

"Mr. Klebold, can you describe to the jury what happened in the store that day?"

"Gladly", Klebold said. "I had received phone calls about crime in the Mount Prospect area. I came to that grocery store when I heard bullets. I saw Tysens holding a gun and I also saw blood all over the floor."

After Klebold finished his testimony, Tysens seemed defeated.

"Now I will call Tony Cataldo to the stand as a witness", Stag said.

Tony stood up, clearly nervous.

"You can do it", Bill said. "Just tell them the truth about what happened."

Tony walked to the stand.

"Mr. Cataldo, do you swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth?", Fasano asked.

"Yes, your honor."

"Can you explain what happened at the grocery store that day?"

Tony took a deep breath, then started to speak.

"I was shopping. I had ordered cartons of milk and boxes of cereal. I had paid one of the victims, Cory Pratt, the money owed for the stuff I bought. I was about to get the change when Tysens ran into the store and demanded money from the cashier. Cory said he was going to call the police, and then Tysens…shot and killed him. A security guard, Zachary Monroy, reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun. Tysens shot and killed Zachary. Lisa Marcotte was crying, and then Tysens shot and killed her. Jack Mazzeo tried to flee from the store, and then Tysens shot and killed him. Another security guard, Ian Pullin, ran towards the counter to stop Silas, and Tysens shot and killed him. Tysens then killed Compton Reno. Shortly after that, Mr. Klebold shot Tysens and arrested him."

Tony felt relieved that he had explained the story.

"Thank you for your testimony, Mr. Cataldo", Stag said. "This should be clear evidence of how dangerous Mr. Tysens is. Even before this incident, he had been arrested numerous times. He needs to be locked and never be able to reintegrate into society ever again."

Tony couldn't have agreed more.

The jury then decided to discuss and think about the verdict.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?", Fasano asked.

"Yes, your honor."

"What is your decision?"

"Guilty."

Tony felt so relieved.

"Okay then", Fasano said. "For murdering six people, Mr. Tysens, you are hereby sentenced to six life sentences…one for every person that was killed in that store. You will also be sentenced to 400 years for armed robbery and for endangering the lives of the innocent police officers. Case closed."

Tony felt so happy. Tysens was escorted by the guards to a van that would transport him to a prison in Joliet, Illinois. As Tysens passed by Tony, he growled at him.

"You won't be seeing the last of me", Tysens said. "You're going to regret this."

Tony was worried about that threat, but he tried not to think about it. He shook hands with Bill, Eddie, and Rohit.

"Thank you, thank you so much. I couldn't have done it without your help", Tony said.

"No problem", Bill said. "We're all brothers now."

**Sandy's POV**

A three full weeks had passed since the disappearances.

Sandy Comstock had been yearning for a chance to have an interview with Nicolae Carpathia. So far, he hadn't had an opportunity. Every time Sandy had tried to arrange a meeting, Carpathia had been busy. Sandy didn't want to bother the Romanian president, but he genuinely had to speak to the man personally and understand his wisdom more. A month ago, he didn't even know who Carpathia was. Now he wanted to speak to Carpathia and understand him more. His impressive performance on live television should have been enough to convince anyone to want to talk to Carpathia. Even though he was only 33 years old, the man seemed to have the wisdom and veneration of a respectable senior citizen.

Yet, something didn't feel right about this situation either. Even before the disappearances, multiple politicians either lied or made promises that were never kept. This wasn't any new concept. Throughout history, politicians had lied to and manipulated the natives in their respective countries. Lying and manipulation is what caused a dictator in Germany to slaughter Jews and other people that weren't so-called pure-blooded Aryans during the second World War. Lying is what caused thousands of Russian citizens in the United States to either lose their jobs or their lives during the Cold War. The seventh president of the United States had forced thousands of Native Americans to be relocated from their homeland, and many of them died. Paul had warned Sandy and the other eight people in that church basement about the Antichrist, some world leader that would try to take over the world. Sandy couldn't help but wonder…what if Carpathia was the Antichrist?

Sandy hoped it wasn't true. The Romanian president seemed to be so polite and well-mannered. If all of this was an act…

Sandy knew that he had to be certain before jumping to any conclusions. He couldn't just go around accusing people without proof. Even Paul would know this. Yet, it didn't seem right to just trust anyone that they interacted with. After the disappearances and all the deaths that had occurred since then, hardly anyone could be looked at without suspicion.

Sandy just had to wait for a phone call from his boss. At any moment now…

Just then, Talbot Ismay walked ran into Sandy's office. Ismay was Sandy's boss.

"Mr. Ismay?", Sandy asked. "What happened? Is there something…"

"Nothing's wrong", Mr. Ismay said. "I just arranged a meeting for you with none other than Nicolae Carpathia himself. What a lucky day this is for you."

"Where will the interview take place?", Sandy asked.

"In New York. You and several others from this newspaper will take a plane there to talk with Mr. Carpathia near the United Nations building. The plane leaves tonight."

Sandy could hardly believe his luck.

After Ismay left, Sandy called Paul and told him the news.

Paul then sighed. "Sandy, I know that you seem excited about this. But I have to warn you. I have to believe that Carpathia is the Antichrist. I looked into his history. Did you know he was the president of the Senate for one month?"

"No, I didn't know that", Sandy said. This information didn't seem to matter much.

"Well, the previous president of Romania had died of an illness. His tenure only lasted two months. Carpathia then succeeded him as president."

Sandy thought he was seeing a connection. A pattern. It was possible that the former Romanian president had been poisoned by Carpathia somehow, and then Carpathia became president.

Still, Sandy wanted to give Carpathia the benefit of the doubt. He seemed like such a generous person. He only hoped that that theory wasn't true. But with the evidence in front of him…

"There's more information I looked up online", Paul said. "I did some research about Carpathia's girlfriend, Aurora Pichler. I saw some photos taken of her and Carpathia one year earlier. I saw some bruise marks on her leg and neck. In another photo, I saw a tiny bruise on her forehead, clearly visible to the human eye."

"Maybe she slipped on the ground or something", Sandy said.

"Sandy, do you know what domestic abuse is?"

"I know what it is. That doesn't mean that Carpathia's been abusing and hitting his girlfriend."

"Those marks could not have been caused from simply slipping on the ground. Something else must have been occurring."

Now, Sandy was feeling slightly worried. He wondered if this meeting with Carpathia in New York was a mistake.

"Paul, let me at least speak to him in person", Sandy said. "At the very least, you could pray for me."

Paul chuckled. "Of course, I will."

**Bill's POV**

Bill Parker was at New Hope Village Church. Paul had called another meeting, since Sandy would be leaving for New York that night.

"I ordered cheeseburgers, if anyone is interested", Paul said.

"That's great", Tony said.

"Is there something you wanted to tell us, Paul?", Bill asked.

"I have this theory that Nicolae Carpathia is the Antichrist", Paul said.

At that moment, silence fell at the table.

"He seems such like a nice guy", Zoey Harper said.

"The Antichrist, unfortunately, will have everyone thinking about how charming and good-looking he is. He will ultimately take advantage of that and try to deceive everyone that sees him. I did some research. The president of Romania whose tenure was before Carpathia's served for two months before he died. Carpathia then became president. It's possible that Carpathia might have poisoned his predecessor and then replaced him."

"We don't know that for sure", Kade Gordonhurst said.

"There's more. It's possible that Carpathia might be physically abusing his girlfriend."

"Wow, really?", Larry Levine asked.

"It seems so. I have photographs of Aurora Pichler that show clear evidence of bruises on her body. Do those bruises look normal to you?"

"Apparently not", Rohit said. "Unless she constantly gets injured for some unknown reason, it seems Carpathia has been abusing her."

Bill had thought that Carpathia seemed benevolent and amiable. He seemed to be an ideal role model. But with the evidence in front of him…maybe not so much.

Bill knew that Carpathia had talked about the United Nations, but so far, the Romanian president hadn't explicitly said anything about wanting to seize control of the whole world. At least not yet, anyway.

Bill glanced at Sandy. The _Global Weekly_ writer seemed to have mixed emotions. Even though Sandy was a believer now, he still didn't seem to want to denounce Carpathia as evil quite just yet.

"I will have to ask all of you to pray for Sandy", Paul said. "He could be meeting the most dangerous man in the world face-to-face very soon."

"I appreciate the concern", Sandy said. "Really, I do."

Bill only hoped that Sandy would be all right.

**String's POV**

String Becker was finally back at the construction company he was working for. The disappearances had hindered activity, but String was looking forward to fixing any homes or buildings that needed improvement and revamping.

String had been assigned to fix a house that had burned down during the disappearances. The entire family in that household had apparently vanished. String found a Bible that had been charred on one of the tables. Some of the pages were still visible, however. String noticed that the entire chapter of Revelation seemed to be untouched.

He started by trying to fix the living room. String had decided to start adding extra bricks to replace the ones that had been lost in the fire. The construction of the house seemed to parallel the state of the world after the disappearances. After chaos and destruction had inflicted the planet and the population, they needed to be built and developed during the long recovery process.

The construction of this home would take some time, given the amount of damage that had been done to the home. String decided to hide the Bible away so he could look at it later. He still didn't know what to think about the disappearances. The entire world had just been permanently reoriented in the wrong way. Millions had disappeared, thousands of others had been killed in accidents caused by the vanishings. It seemed like it would take some time before the world could truly go back to normal.

Then again, the world might never become normal again after what just happened. The events of that day would be discussed by millions of people and remembered by thousands for all time. There didn't seem to be any way to escape the pain and devastation that the world had been going through.

String quietly hummed to himself as he was drilling bricks into the ground.

"Are you a singer?", Logan Donovan asked String. Logan was one of his co-workers that had been assigned to work with him on the burned-down house.

String laughed. "I was never into singing. I tried singing during a talent show in middle school, and that was pretty much it. I'm sure the entertainment industry is also suffering because of the disappearances."

Donovan snorted. "I was never really a singer either. Honestly, when you look at celebrities who are going downhill now, it really makes you think twice before wishing you had fame and fortune."

"That is true", String agreed.

"Who do you think these people were, the ones that vanished?", Donovan asked.

"I have no knowledge of who they were", String said. "All records of them in this home seemed to have been burned completely. I did find a Bible, however. Seems like they were religious."

Donovan sighed. "I was never into religion. Honestly, the concept seems so cringy. Thousands of these people pray, but God still lets many of them die for no reason. Prayers seem pointless. It's like these Christians are trying to manipulate God."

"Still, you have to admire them for their persistence", String said. "I don't agree with the Christians in the slightest, but there has to be some relevance to all of the things that they are saying. Plus, they are committed. That has to be worthy of some respect."

"I don't respect them", Donovan said. "If they wanted my respect, they would at least try to act better than they portray themselves as. Whatever happened to the Golden Rule? Treat others the way you want to be treated. Love your neighbors as you love yourself. The Christians are instead acting all greedy over money and trying to become affluent as a result of the pain of others."

"That cannot be denied."

String and his co-workers continued working on that house for another five hours. After the work was completed, they all said their good-byes and left. Yet, String was still wondering if the theories about God taking his people to heaven were trustworthy. He wasn't feeling comfortable with any of this. He also wondered when Carpathia would be giving one of his speeches. String hoped it would be soon. Some uplifting words should definitely be enough to comfort the crowds that would need encouragement after what had happened three weeks ago.

**Sandy's POV**

Sandy Comstock never thought he would be stepping on a plane again after what had happened on Flight 248.

Yet, here he was. Sandy waited in the airport. The text messages from Paul, Bill, and the others were all encouraging and inspiring. He only hoped that nothing tumultuous or minacious would occur on the flight or in New York.

Sandy watched as others from _Global Weekly_ arrived at the terminal. Then, the gate opened. Sandy showed his passport and ticket, then was allowed into the gate.

Sandy sat down as the pilot told everyone to put on their seatbelts. He took a deep breath.

_What if this isn't over?_ he thought. _What if people on this plane disappear as well? What if history repeats itself?_

Sandy knew this couldn't be true. He had listened to what Paul had said back at New Hope Village Church. Besides, if another Rapture took place, he would simply be taken to heaven, reunited with his parents.

Sandy shook his head. No way was he going to be able to escape his problems that easily. It would be some time before he would be reunited with his parents in heaven, apparently.

Sandy saw other _Global Weekly_ staff members engaged in various conversations. He decided to simply fall asleep.

**Kade's POV**

Kade Gordonhurst hoped that Sandy wouldn't be harmed during his trip.

**Hiram's POV**

Hiram Calhoun was talking to Rudy on his cell phone.

"Rudy, I'm flying out to New York with Carpathia and several of his colleagues to the United Nations building in New York. Can you believe it? What a lucky day for me. Are you coming?"

"Can't", Rudy said. "I have to go to Washington, D.C. I have duties to take care of. But say hello to Carpathia for me, if you can."

"I most certainly will", Hiram said, feeling ecstatic and blissful. This was his chance.

Hiram was at the airport. He got a glimpse of Carpathia. The Romanian president was speaking with Salvatore Corsetti and Aurora Pichler. Hiram decided it was best not to bother Carpathia at this time. He would wait.

Still, he had to admit that Carpathia seemed to be gripping his girlfriend's shoulders a little _too_ tightly. From where he was standing, he couldn't say for certain. That was odd.

Hiram decided not to think about it. Maybe he was imagining things. From the way Carpathia had presented himself during the meeting in Illinois, he clearly was deserving respect and adulation. Hiram only hoped that image would stay as it was, without being tarnished.

Then they all boarded the plane. All scheduled flights had been delayed because of the disappearances. Hiram showed his passport and ticket. He walked down the aisle and found a seat in first-class.

By some miracle of nature, Carpathia found a seat right in front of Hiram. What were the chances?

Hiram didn't want to disturb Carpathia right away. He hoped he would be able to speak to him and be able to comprehend what made this man so different from all the other politicians that Hiram had studied with, talked with, and examined.

Hiram decided that waiting a few more hours would be good. There was no need to rush things.

**Joyce's POV**

Joyce Dancer was currently in the office of her magazine company. All employees had been ordered to return to work one week earlier. She was glad to be working on something that would take her mind off of the current state of the world. She needed to focus on something productive. Something other than millions of people disappearing.

Joyce was busy writing about topics to discuss in the magazine when Nora Grimsby walked into the office.

"I have some good news, Miss Dancer", Joyce said. "This entire magazine company will be flying out to New York to personally see Carpathia at the United Nations building. Carpathia's best friend and girlfriend both gave their approval."

"Wow, really?", Joyce asked. Then she remembered that Nora would never joke about something so important.

"This is the honest truth", Nora said. "You better back your bags. We're supposed to leave tonight."

Joyce felt so excited. She couldn't wait.

**Perry's POV**

Perry Warden couldn't stop thinking about Carpathia and his impressive behavior. He would be more than thrilled to be able to work for him. How he would have loved to be able to be one of his staff members. It would have been an honor.

Perry had been hoping to gain experience in England, and that chance had been stolen from him. But there was a possibility that Carpathia would be able to offer something better.

**Bill's POV**

Bill Parker called Paul Karoski.

"Paul, I'm feeling slightly worried about Sandy. I only hope that he doesn't get hurt", Bill said.

"I am feeling nervous for him", Paul said. "But he has to make his own choices. But we'll keep praying for him. We have to be wise as serpents but gentle as doves."

**Hiram's POV**

Hiram Calhoun waited until the following morning to speak to Carpathia. He watched as Carpathia was eating his breakfast.

Hiram then approached the Romanian President's seat and offered his hand.

"Hello, President Carpathia. My name is Hiram Calhoun."


	10. Episode 10: Known

**Season 1, Episode 10: Known**

**Bill's POV**

Bill missed Allison more than he wanted to admit.

It had been three weeks. Almost one month since the disappearances. There wasn't a day that Bill thought about his wife. How he regretted making fun of her faith. Bill was sure that Ben missed her too.

Bill loved Allison, but he didn't doubt for even one second that Allison loved him more. He wished he had spent more time with her before the disappearances.

Bill had loved it when he had eaten hot dogs with Allison during fourth of July celebrations and celebrated anniversaries and birthdays. He knew now he had never really appreciated Allison the way he should have. He had taken her for granted. How he wished he could go back in time and do things differently. He wished he could be reunited with her in heaven.

Bill then sighed. He knew what was in the past was in the past. Then again, he had to think about Ben.

So far, Ben hadn't made the decision to follow Christ. Every time Bill had tried to talk to his son about following God, the boy had changed the subject or simply not responded.

Bill was worried about Ben. He wondered if Allison had felt this way about him before the Rapture. She had genuinely been worried about him. She had prayed for him for years. He had scoffed and laughed at her concern. Now he felt so ashamed and guilty.

Bill had made an abundance of money over the years when he was working as a pilot. Now he wished he could relinquish all of the money for him and Ben to be in heaven right now.

Bill knew the others that had met in that church basement were having the same emotions, regrets, and fears. This was probably the worst part of all of their lives. Would any of them be truly able to recover from what had happened? Would they ever be truly at peace again? He didn't know. He wished he did.

Bill had to wonder what was keeping Ben from getting right with God. He guessed it was the same thing that had hindered him. Bill had felt angry with God at times for making him go through all of this. Did he deserve to go through all of this? Did he deserve to have to live with the fact that people around him had faced death? Did he deserve to have to acknowledge that more death and destruction were on the way?

Bill knew that Paul knew more about this stuff than he did. Bill was sure that Paul had regretted the way he had handled his problems before the Rapture. Paul would be able to answer his questions. That didn't take away his anger, fear, guilt, and regret. This was a nightmare that didn't seem to end. And if Nicolae Carpathia was the Antichrist, Bill knew he and the other people from Flight 248 were in an immense amount of danger. Carpathia was already gaining popular support. Bill just had to hope Carpathia wouldn't attempt to seize control of the world.

Bill wondered if his skills as a pilot would be beneficial for him in the future. He knew things would only get worse from this point forward. Bill would do his best to help the other passengers from Flight 248. It would not be easy, but he would at least be there for support. He only wondered if the others would be willing to do the same.

**Paul**

Paul Karoski looked at a picture of him, his wife, and their sons and sobbed. What a blessing and gift he had. It had been taken from him. And it was all his fault.

If he had just gotten right with God and admitted his mistakes, he would have been with the rest of his family in heaven. He had studied about the Tribulation and seemed to be prepared for the events to come. He was still nervous and mournful. He still would be crying for many days to come. The tears never seemed to end.

Paul knew that he brought this upon himself. A hard lesson to learn. But he could already see good coming out of this terrible event and all this mourning. If he and the other nine people in that basement could form their own group to face the Tribulation, he knew it would be a rewarding experience. They would look out for each other. They would be their own family. Even though none of them were related by blood, they could love each other and respect each other. Even Rohit and Tony could show a vast amount of empathy for each other despite their fight on the plane.

Paul knew that God never promised his children a life free of trouble, misery, or pain. But God at the very least promised to watch over his creation and be with them every step of the way. Paul was holding on to that promise for himself, as well as the other nine people that were in that basement.

Paul knew that accusing Nicolae Carpathia of being the Antichrist was very serious. If anyone outside their church heard this, Paul knew that he would be in grave danger. He already knew that believers in Christ would be heavily persecuted during this time period. For now, he would not make any public accusations, but eventually he would have to make a stand.

**Hiram's POV**

"Hello, President Carpathia. My name is Hiram Calhoun."

Hiram watched with anticipation as Carpathia looked at him with a smile. He thought for a moment that Carpathia would tell him to get lost. After all, the Romanian president was eating his breakfast. But Carpathia seemed to look at him with compassion and empathy.

Carpathia shook Hiram's outstretched hand.

"Hiram, it is a pleasure to meet you personally", Carpathia said.

Hiram felt so giddy. It was like being in an amazing dream. This was a man deserving respect.

"By any chance, are you related to Rudy Calhoun, the president of the United States?"

"He's my older brother", Hiram said. He had hated being compared to his older brother. He had felt overshadowed since Rudy had became president of the United States. Senators weren't remembered as well as Presidents. Hiram wanted to stand out and be recognized for his own deeds.

"He's done a satisfying job in taking care of your country during this terrible time", Carpathia said. "You should be proud of him."

_Why does everything have to be about Rudy?_ Hiram thought with annoyance. _I'm a politician too, in case anyone hasn't noticed._

"But I'm sure that you have an exemplary career as well. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you a senator representing the state of Illinois?"

Hiram felt both amazed and shocked. "Yes. How did you know?"

Carpathia smiled at Hiram. "I've studied the current history and infrastructure of the United States. I remember the details vividly. You clearly are capable of amazing things. You deserved to be valued. You shouldn't disregard yourself."

Hiram was flattered that Carpathia had even noticed him, never mind praised him and complimented him. He decided to keep the conversation going.

"How do you know so much about the history of the United Nations and the United States? How are you so committed to the people of Romania? How do you do it?"

Carpathia didn't seem bothered or annoyed in the slightest bit by the questions. "Those are talents and gifts I was blessed with. I don't even feel worthy of these tasks. I want to stand up for what I believe is right. I want to serve my country and my people. I want to do everything in my power to allocate love, peace, and unity to people that are broken. I committed myself to do that, more than anything in this world."

Hiram nodded, clearly pleased with the answer. It seemed heartfelt.

"Well, I better get going. Nice speaking with you. I didn't mean to bother."

"You are not bothering me at all, Hiram", Carpathia said. "I love to help others in need."

_That has to be the most unselfish leader I've ever seen_, Hiram thought.

He decided to head towards the bathroom. As he was on the way to the bathroom, he bumped into someone. One of his least favorite people in the world. It was the vice president of the United States, Pike Jennings.

Ever since Rudy's tenure as President began, Hiram and Jennings seemed to loathe each other. It was clear that Jennings was jealous of Rudy even though he had been the latter's running mate during the election. Jennings seemed to be willing to act condescending and arrogant when he interacted with Hiram in public. The younger Calhoun brother could hardly tolerate the man. Jennings seemed to be willing to say snide remarks about Rudy when the President's back was turned. Rudy didn't seem to notice or even suspect Jennings's hostility, yet Hiram did. Hiram wondered at times why Rudy had even chosen him to be his running mate. He seemed to be a terrible choice for vice president.

Jennings sneered at Hiram. "What do _you_ want, Calhoun?"

"Just going to use the bathroom, if you don't mind, Jennings", Hiram said. He had to hold himself back from attacking Jennings.

"I noticed you were speaking with Carpathia", Jennings said, smirking. "Do you really think that someone of great importance and value will even bother interacting with you? Is your ego really that big? How full of yourself are you?"

Hiram gritted his teeth. "I was just having a conversation with him, that's all. He seems to have a vast amount of intelligence."

_Even more than you_, Hiram thought silently.

"Whatever", Jennings said. The vice president then headed back to his seat.

Hiram then headed to the bathroom, trying not to think about Jennings and what he said. The vice president's snotty attitude was getting on his nerves.

When Hiram headed back to his seat, he noticed that the plane would be landing in New York in approximately one hour.

**Zoey's POV**

Zoey Harper was in her apartment. She was still in mourning over losing the love of her life. She thought about Wishy every day. How she wished she could tell him how sorry she was. She wished she could tell him that she should have known better. It had been a hard lesson, but it had been driven home. At least she knew the truth now. Wishy would have been ecstatic and overjoyed.

Zoey knew she would see her boyfriend one day in heaven, and that thought kept her going. She knew she had to prepare herself for this Tribulation period. If Carpathia was the Antichrist, she and the others from Flight 248 would be in danger. The general public would not tolerate them slandering or insulting Carpathia, even if those accusations were accurate.

Zoey only hoped that she would make Wishy proud.

**Eddie's POV**

Eddie Exton hoped that Sandy wouldn't be hurt on his trip to New York. Even though Eddie hadn't known Sandy for that long, he didn't want anything to happen to Sandy.

Eddie knew that all the passengers that had been on Flight 248 would be all be in varying degrees of danger. This was far from simple. This was only the beginning.

Eddie remembered how life used to be before the Rapture. The cycle of life that he didn't pay much attention to, because he now realized he never recognized its true value. The seasons would be in a never-ending pattern that he didn't think was such a huge deal. How he loved watching sporting events and concerts on live television. Now, it didn't seem anything like that would be happening at all in the future.

Life would be depressing, but it would be worth it in the end. If he was on God's side, he was also on the winning side.

Eddie wished he had believed before the Rapture. Then he wouldn't have had to find all those missing clothes on Flight 248. He wouldn't have had to find the dead bodies of Sally Graves and Gordon Bernall. He wouldn't have to worry about the prospect of dying or seeing some Antichrist take control of the world.

Eddie opened his Bible and started reading it. He might as well find out more information that could prove to be vital in the future.

Eddie only could wonder if he would live long enough to see any of these events taking place.

**Josh's POV**

Josh Grant was sitting in his house, filing taxes and writing checks to pay his bills. He had to manage his finances more carefully with the disappearances and all the chaos all around the world.

Josh knew that there was more to life than money. But money was the key to life in the United States. He didn't see anything wrong with making financial goals or trying to sustain the amount of money he had. Josh may not have been as wealthy as Bill Parker, but he would do his best to prove his relevance in this world. He couldn't lose sight of what was important.

Maybe someday Josh would listen about God, but only when the time was right. He wanted to focus on something else in the meantime. Something that didn't sound so depressing and terrifying.

**Rohit's POV**

Rohit Sharma was in his apartment. He was looking at information about Nicolae Carpathia. When he had seen the man on television talking to President Calhoun, Rohit thought the man seemed familiar. Yet, he couldn't remember.

Rohit was deep in thought, trying his best to make the connection. He saw a photo of Carpathia from the year when Rohit was only two years old. Carpathia was shaking hands with a former Indian Prime Minister.

All of a sudden, Rohit remembered. He had been an attendee at that meeting with his father and brother. From what Rohit recalled from what Nikhil had told him, Carpathia had made some sort of business agreement with the Indian prime minister. Some kind of monetary partnership between Romania and India. Coincidentally, that prime minister had died of an unspecified illness later that same year, at the age of 44.

Rohit then thought about that again. Maybe that wasn't a coincidence. It seemed possible that Carpathia might have somehow poisoned that unlucky prime minister. The fact that Carpathia seemed to impress almost everyone without any protests or suspicion just showed that Paul's theory about Carpathia being the Antichrist definitely had some credibility.

Rohit thought about calling Eddie, Kade, or Paul. Someone needed to know about this discovery.

**Bill's POV**

Bill had to fly a plane to Florida. He hugged Ben tightly and told him he would be back soon. Bill headed to the airport. It was the first time he would be flying a plane since the disappearances.

It felt strange. But he would complete this task in any case. He would not just give up on his job. He had to make as much money as possible to at least help himself and his son for a little bit longer.

Bill waited as the passengers got on the plane. Once everyone boarded the plane, he then made an announcement.

"Everyone, take your seats. The plane will take off in five minutes."

**Kade's POV**

Kade Gordonhurst was in his house. How he wished he could speak to his sister. He remembered the sound of her voice. He remembered all the times Kara had tried to talk to him about God. He wished he had listened closer. It was evident that she cared so much about him. If only he had heeded her warnings.

Kade now knew how costly his choices were. The disappearances certainly were conspicuous to the human eye. He couldn't see why it wouldn't. If millions of people disappearing weren't enough to convince the remaining population in the world about the end of the world, Kade didn't know what would. This would be a wound that would probably never completely heal.

Kade knew he would see his sister again soon, but he still was feeling doleful. He was sure the other passengers from Flight 248 had their own moments, actions, and regrets to feel remorse about. It seemed so cruel and unfair. But Kade knew that he would have to get through this pain. He had to use that pain and channel that energy into something productive.

Just then Kade's cell phone rang.

He answered it.

"Hello?"

"Kade? It's me, Rohit."

"Rohit? What's going on? How is everything?"

"I was looking at some photographs of Nicolae Carpathia", Rohit said. "I then remembered when Carpathia met a former prime minister of India when I was just two years old. Did you know that prime minister died the same year that meeting took place?"

"I think I'm seeing a connection", Kade said. "We better tell Paul about this."

**Joyce's POV**

Joyce Dancer hadn't been on a plane since the disappearances occurred. She would certainly not be able to forget about the events that occurred on Flight 248. Joyce tried to act like everything was fine. And everything should have been fine. She would have a chance to personally meet and see Nicolae Carpathia.

Joyce boarded the plane after showing her passport and ticket. She took her seat, clearly trying to hold back excitement.

She decided to watch a film to take her mind off her anticipation. But her heart was fluttering with satisfaction.

**Sylvester's POV**

Sylvester was looking at pictures of Jenna and Sal. How happy they were. He was, in a way, glad they were not on Earth when it was spiraling towards destruction. But that didn't really comfort him that much.

**Paul's POV**

Paul was sleeping at 3 AM when all of a sudden, his cell phone rang.

It was Kade.

"Paul?", Kade asked. "Don't mean to bother, but Rohit and I discovered something about Carpathia. We need you to give your perspective about it."

This captured Paul's attention.

"Meet me at the church", Paul said.


	11. Episode 11: Market Research

**Season 1, Episode 11: Market Research**

**Bill's POV**

Bill Parker guided the plane as carefully as he could, just like he did for every other flight. He had to make sure that his distracting thoughts and fears didn't distract him.

**Rohit's POV**

Rohit Sharma and Kade Gordonhurst entered the church, both feeling slightly tired. Before the disappearances, neither of them would have done something like this. But they needed to gather all the information they could.

Paul Karoski was waiting for them in the basement.

"We don't mean to bother you, Paul, but…", Rohit began.

"You're not bothering me at all", Paul said. "I'm more than happy to help."

"Okay, then", Rohit said. "I remembered something about Carpathia. When I was two years old, he made some kind of agreement with the prime minister of India. That same year, that prime minister died. Would you find some kind of ulterior motive hard to believe?"

"Actually, I would _not_ find that hard to believe", Paul said. "With the way the world has been recently, almost no one can be trusted. Even before the disappearances, men have lusted after money and affluence in their own greed and imperfection. This isn't some new concept. Any of us would just love to have as much money as possible."

"Just out of curiosity, is it really a bad thing to want so much money?", Kade asked.

"Of course, not", Paul said. "God gave us this life to enjoy. But we have to remember that life, like all things, is temporary. When we die, we can't take any of the money we earned with us. Just some food for thought."

"It _is_ an eye-opener", Rohit remarked.

"You could say that again", Paul said, with a slight smile on his face.

"I want to be completely sure before I accuse Carpathia publicly", Rohit said. "If he is a good man and that prime minister did not die by any cowardly deed, then everything is fine. But if Carpathia dared to commit this insulting act in my country and had that prime minister die from that illness, I want to make sure the world understands that injustice."

"Even if it is true, would the public believe us anyway?", Kade asked. "Most of the world already seems to view Carpathia as a God."

"As I feared they would", Paul said. "We need to somehow warn some of those people. An immense soul harvest will occur in the world during this Tribulation period. I want to warn as many people as possible, because the Antichrist will try to deceive millions of unlucky individuals, and he will succeed unfortunately."

"Let's see if we can find more evidence to accuse Carpathia of", Rohit said. "Do you have a computer here? Maybe there's something on the internet that could somehow help us."

"I'll put in the password", Paul said.

Thirty minutes later, the three men searched for news articles that described Carpathia's accomplishments.

"He was the valedictorian at his high school graduation in Romania", Rohit said. "How different is the education system in that country, anyway?"

"He graduated from college with a Master's degree in only two years", Kade said. "That _does_ look shady, but nothing that we can use to accuse him with."

"Here's an article from the year he graduated from his high school", Paul said. "One of his chemistry teachers died that year. He was found with multiple stab wounds on his body. They never found the person responsible. According to the article, he seemed to be a tough grader and strict educator."

"So maybe Carpathia had some involvement with that", Rohit said. "He may not be directly killing people, but he could have easily paid someone to carry out the deed. He is affluent, after all."

"He may not have been as rich back then, though", Kade pointed out.

"According to an article about Carpathia's college graduation, it says he was one of the five wealthiest young males in his hometown in Romania. That _is_ an eye opener", Paul said.

"It says in another article that Carpathia seems to have some sort of an alliance with Salvatore Corsetti, that friend of his that was seen briefly on-screen when Carpathia was talking to President Calhoun", Rohit said.

"That technically isn't a transgression", Kade said.

"True. But it wouldn't shock me if Carpathia was some sort of mobster", Rohit said.

"You mean, like those crime lords in those Italian mafia movies?", Kade asked.

"Yeah", Rohit said. "I will never understand some of these white people."

"Dude, that's racist", Kade said, laughing.

Paul and Rohit also laughed.

"In all seriousness, though, Carpathia does seem to know numerous people", Rohit said. "He also seems to be aware of all the loopholes in the United Nations."

"Having that kind of knowledge isn't the problem, though", Kade said. "The problem is using that knowledge, power, and affluence for the wrong reasons. But if we find more articles, we could make more connections."

"I found an article", Rohit said. "A married couple spoke out against Carpathia in Romania just one month before the disappearances. They were both arrested and accused of spreading hate speech and making threats against the Romanian government."

"Now that seems to be some form of incrimination", Paul said. "Arresting two people for speaking their minds and voicing their opinion? Why is it being classified as 'hate speech'?"

"Seems that Carpathia may have had some involvement", Kade said. "I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Not anymore. I wouldn't be shocked if he had that married couple arrested just to silence them."

"Speaking of that married couple", Rohit said. "It says in another article that those two people were taken in the Rapture."

Silence fell. The three men looked at each other with knowing glances. This couldn't be some coincidence. No, something clear seemed to be forming. A pattern.

Paul then broke the silence. "I'm feeling rather sleepy, maybe…"

"We could probably crash here", Kade said. "I'm feeling tired as well."

"I do feel lethargic currently", Rohit said. "Maybe we should just get some blankets and spread them on the floor."

So, the three men slept in the church basement.

**Tony's POV**

Tony Cataldo was taking a walk in his neighborhood. He felt more paranoid leaving his abode since he survived the deadly shooting in that grocery store. Silas Tysens wasn't the only murderer in the world, after all. Tony knew that he couldn't hide in his house forever, but he didn't want to risk making a decision that could cost him his life. If he was going to die, he would rather that he would die for a noble cause, something that would somehow glorify God.

Tony continued walking when he all of a sudden, spotted someone familiar walking down the block. It was Perry Warden.

Tony called out his name, then rushed to him.

"How are you, Perry?", Tony asked. "I haven't seen you since we were on Flight 248."

"Things have been complicated since the disappearances", Perry said. "I had plans that were ultimately disrupted by what had happened. I was upset about that for weeks."

Perry looked at the ground, then looked at Tony and smiled.

"But then I saw Nicolae Carpathia on my television screen, and that was entertaining enough", Perry said.

"Yeah, he definitely is not a typical politician", Tony said. He wasn't, of course, going to say that Carpathia was the Antichrist in front of Perry. At least, not yet.

"What do you think about the disappearances?", Tony asked, hoping to make some progress with Perry.

Perry sighed. It was evident that he had no interest in engaging in this discussion.

"I don't know what to believe", Perry said. "Maybe aliens took those people away. Whatever happened, I refuse to believe that God had any involvement in that. Christianity and religion are things I want no association with."

"Perry, I used to feel the same way about Christianity", Tony said. "I hated it, and anything related to Jesus or the Bible. But I went to this church, and met this pastor. Perry, I'm a believer now."

Perry looked disgusted. "You're joking, right? Tell me you're joking."

"I'm not joking, Perry", Tony said. "I survived a shooting in a grocery store, and then I prayed to God and asked him to show me mercy. I'm so glad I did. You can do the same as well."

"Forget it!", Perry shouted. "I want absolutely nothing to do with it. I would have thought that you, of all people, would have had more sense. I would have thought that you were self-aware. But even you have been brainwashed to becoming a moronic Christian."

Perry then stormed off, clearly incensed.

"Perry, wait!", Tony shouted. "Let's just talk about this."

Tony sighed heavily. He had to wonder if everyone would respond this way when hearing about God's mercy and about the second coming of Christ.

**Pete's POV**

Pete Alessandra was listening to heavy metal music on his laptop. Music was something he was truly passionate about. Listening to any type of music helped to take his mind off of his family.

His family. Hearing about their deaths from Lawrence Klebold had been the worst news of his life. Why wouldn't it be? What could be worse than finding out your entire family had been killed on the same day?

Pete had traveled to Wisconsin to see the exact location where the deadly crash had taken place. After that, he went to the morgue to find the bodies of his parents and brother. He felt so inconsolable and despondent when he saw their bodies. Pete then buried the bodies in his backyard. He didn't want to arrange a funeral for two reasons. The first reason was that so many other people had lost friends and family members themselves in the disappearances, so they were probably either extremely busy or in mourning. The second reason was that he wanted his privacy to be valued. He had an aversion to being bothered during the worst part of his life. He would be extremely upset if people kept asking questions about how his family had died. It would just annoy him. It would be best if no one else knew.

Pete had mixed feelings of anger, sorrow, and nostalgia. If there was a God out there somewhere, he couldn't understand why that God would feel inclined to let his family be killed. He had no right to allow his family to die for no reason. Did his family deserve what had happened to them? Did he deserve this?

Pete wasn't sure if the theories of God taking his people to heaven were credible. He was sure he would be thinking about this often in the months to come. Pete currently had no interest in turning to God. If God wanted people to respect him, slaughtering innocents would not be an adequate way to get attention and veneration.

Pete turned off his music and sighed. He knew that this would be constantly in the back of his mind. He then turned the music back on. He needed a healthy distraction.

**Larry's POV**

Larry Levine had to admit that a walk with God did offer him comfort.

He knew that there would be terrible and ghastly occurrences that were supposed to happen in the future. If Paul Karoski was right about Nicolae Carpathia being the Antichrist, then he would imagine that the fate of the world would only get worse, seeing how many people had given him respect and attention.

Larry wasn't sure what the best form of action would be to take. Should he and the other passengers from Flight 248 head to New York and fight with him? _No, that would not work_, he thought. That was completely absurd. Still, they had to do something about Carpathia before he took over the entire world. They may not be able to hinder his conquest, but they could at least prepare for what he was planning. They could strategize on what they should do so they would be able to prolong their inevitable deaths. Of course, if Larry would be forced to defend his Christians beliefs, then he would gladly give his life for it.

Larry had to wonder if the other passengers from Flight 248 were prepared to give their lives. The other eight people that Paul had spoken to might be willing to if necessary. Larry couldn't say the same about the other passengers from that flight.

Larry knew that he would not be alone in this fight, at the very least.

**Joyce's POV**

Joyce Dancer was filled with excitement as the plane landed in New York. She knew what she had to do. She would find a hotel somewhere in the city, and then stay there while she planned and prepared for the meeting in the United Nations building. It would be a day she would not forget about.

The thought of being able to meet with and speak with Carpathia certainly made Joyce feel ecstatic. The Romanian president had been able to give hope to a world that had experienced so much grief and despair. Regardless, it was likely that Carpathia would be very busy. There was no way he would be able to speak to every reporter and bystander in the United Nations building individually. Still, there was a chance Carpathia would notice her and maybe even be thrilled to be interviewed by her. That would be a blessing.

But she had to careful not to get too excited. There was a chance that something would go wrong. The disappearances were proof of that.

**Sandy's POV**

Sandy Comstock smiled as the plane he was on reached New York. Everything seemed to be fine so far. He had slept comfortably during the night. He guessed the thought of being able to speak to Carpathia seemed entertaining enough. He had interviewed numerous politicians before. But he never had a chance to speak to a politician who had this much popularity and influence. This would be an unprecedented experience.

Yet, Paul's warning was ringing in his head. Sandy knew that if Carpathia was the Antichrist, he would be treading on dangerous ground. He could even be killed, should something go wrong. With people dropping dead left and right, being cautious was a top priority. Sandy certainly didn't want to lose his life over something petty.

Sandy turned to Howard Hillside, who was a fellow writer from _Global Weekly_. Howard was three years older than Sandy. They were on good terms, but they weren't exactly friends.

"Are you excited to see Carpathia?", Sandy asked.

"Of course I am", Howard said.

Sandy hadn't told Howard about his conversion to Christianity. He knew that the older man needed to know the truth behind the disappearances. But then again, there was no guarantee that Howard would believe Sandy anyway. Howard seemed to respect Carpathia and as far as Sandy knew, Howard did not seem to show any religious inclinations since they spoke to each other after the Rapture.

"What do you think he will be discussing in the United Nations building?", Sandy asked.

Howard shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not completely sure. Whatever he talks about, I'm sure that the others in that building will treat it with the utmost respect."

Sandy nodded. But he hoped that nothing lethal or destructive would occur during the meeting. He didn't want to have any regrets about coming on this trip. Then again, if Carpathia did something malicious, Paul's assumption would be proven correct.

**Zoey's POV**

Zoey Harper was in her apartment. She had woken up and eaten breakfast. She decided she would drive to New Hope Village Church to talk to Paul. There was still so much about the Tribulation that she needed to know about.

Zoey walked outside and got inside the car. As she drove the car, she wondered if she would get any clues about Nicolae Carpathia being the Antichrist. She only hoped she wouldn't have to wait long. She didn't want to be tricked.

Zoey parked outside the church and knocked on the door. When no one answered the door for five minutes, she then tested the doorknob. When she did, she realized the door was unlocked.

"Hello?", Zoey called out. "Paul?"

Zoey checked out the rooms in which Sunday school classes used to be held. She walked through the aisle in the room where services would take place. She checked all around the ground floor, and there was not one single person in sight.

Zoey then walked to the basement of the church. There, she found Paul, Rohit, and Kade all sleeping on the floor.

"Paul? Rohit? Kade? What is going on?", Zoey asked.

The three men woke up to the sound of Zoey's voice. They all seemed shocked that Zoey found them sleeping in the church basement.

"We were looking up information about Carpathia online", Rohit said. "But after a while, all three of us got tired."

"So, we decided to sleep here", Kade said.

For a few minutes, Zoey looked at the three men incredulously. Then she started giggling.

"What's so funny?", Rohit asked. "What is amusing about this?"

"I never thought I'd see the day", Zoey said, unable to keep a straight face. "All three of you came to the church in the middle of the night and decided to sleep here overnight. Who would have thought that would have been the case? Before the Rapture, a church was probably the last place anyone would have stayed overnight at."

"Well, you have to admit that this is the last thing anyone would have expected", Kade said.

Zoey then stopped giggling.

"But in all seriousness, what did you discover about Carpathia?"

"We found some surprising information", Paul said. "Seems like the Romanian president has been involved in some illicit activity. It doesn't look like he is so innocent, after all."

Zoey looked intrigued as Kade, Rohit, and Paul presented all the information about Carpathia they discovered to her.

Zoey then said, "We have to show this to the others from Flight 248. They need to hear about this."

**Hiram's POV**

Hiram Calhoun smiled as the plane reached New York. He grabbed his backpack and headed to the aisle. He noticed Carpathia was speaking to Salvatore Corsetti and Aurora Pichler. Hiram was glad that he didn't bump into Jennings when he walked out of the plane. The vice president was really irritable.

Hiram looked around for Carpathia when he reached the terminal, but he lost the handsome Romanian president in the crowd. The meeting in the United Nations building was something he would be more than happy to attend.

Hiram then grabbed his luggage and flagged down a taxi. He would travel in that taxi to a hotel he would be staying at during his time in New York.

**Bill's POV**

Bill Parker successfully landed the plane in Florida. He planned to fly back to Illinois and try to talk to Marlene Kingston about his new beliefs, if she was willing to listen.

Bill then received a text message from Paul that said, _We need to talk about Carpathia_.


	12. Episode 12: Eyelids

**Season 1, Episode 12: Eyelids**

**Bill's POV**

Bill Parker read Paul Karoski's text message.

_We need to talk about Carpathia. _

Bill read the message. He knew what this would be about. There was no doubt that Paul had found more information about Carpathia and his plans for the world. This would not be pleasant.

Bill decided that he would speak to Paul as soon as possible about Carpathia being the Antichrist. It seemed like it was the only possible explanation.

**Pete's POV**

Pete Alessandra had been listening to heavy metal music the entire day. He needed to avoid thinking about his family and what had happened to them. He only hoped that he could somehow move through this pain and be happier.

Pete had to find something to focus on. Something that would steer his focus and energy in a different direction.

Then an idea formed in his head.

Pete decided to buy some drugs and alcohol to help him feel satisfied. Drugs and alcohol were always things he was told to stay away from as a child. Now, he would be more than thrilled to enjoy the experience.

Pete went to a drugstore and paid eighty dollars to purchase an immense stash of drugs, weed, alcohol. Pete thought that maybe if he smoked and drank, and maybe had a few drugs, he would get his mind off of his pain.

So, Pete started consuming methane and drinking when he reached his home. He was enjoying the feeling. It seemed like a comfortable experience.

**String's POV**

String Becker read the first chapter of Genesis in the Bible. Even though he didn't believe that any of the things written in the Bible were true, he had to admit that the stories were fascinating. He didn't agree with how the universe was created, but he could still try to understand what was written in the first chapter of Genesis. He would have to think long and hard before deciding to become a Christian. Reading some history book didn't mean he was on God's side. He needed to understand what he was getting himself into.

Still, the stories of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, and the other main characters in Genesis seemed to be fascinating. But at the end of the day it was just history. Something that happened thousands of years ago. Something that might not even be for him.

**Josh's POV**

Josh Grant thought that Carpathia seemed like a reasonable man. He seemed to be the type of person that should be trusted. So many politicians lied to people and manipulated them to gain attention. Carpathia clearly didn't seem to be like that.

Josh knew with the precarious state the world was currently in, he had to be cautious and prepare himself for the worst possible scenario. People had been killed as a result of the disappearances. He didn't think he would ever be able to forget about what he had experienced on Flight 248. So many images that would be permanently stuck in his mind. It was horrific.

Josh only hoped that Carpathia would lead the process to leading the world towards the right path. It was obvious someone needed to step up and take charge of the situation. Someone needed to do what no one else was willing to do.

Josh was looking forward to that.

**Marlene**

Marlene Kingston had been completely shocked since the events that had occurred on Flight 248. It certainly seemed unreal.

Marlene didn't know if God had any involvement in the events that had occurred. She had no interest in becoming a Christian, and she would not become one anytime soon.

**Sylvester's POV**

Sylvester Coddmyer made himself a cheeseburger and French fries to eat. He hoped that Sandy Comstock would be safe on his trip in New York. He knew that Carpathia certainly seemed shady. Something did not seem right about the man.

Sylvester would have been more than happy to share his food with Sal. He wanted to speak with him again so badly. He wished he had believed. Then he would have gone to heaven with his wife and son.

Sylvester hoped he could speak with the other passengers from Flight 248 that became believers. Talking about what the future had in store for all of them was something he certainly needed to do, given the circumstances.

Sylvester then received a text message from Kade Gordonhurst that said, _Paul, Rohit, and I found more information about Carpathia online. You should meet with us to find out about that._

Sylvester responded with his own text that said, _I'll be there. I need to acquire as much information as possible._

Sylvester didn't doubt that for one second. He knew that this was a crucial time for the world. The last thing he needed was to lose sight of what was most valuable.

**Eddie's POV**

Eddie Exton drove to New Hope Village Church as fast as he could when he received Paul's message. This was something he had to hear.

When Eddie entered the church basement, he saw that Paul Karoski was sitting at the table with Bill Parker, Rohit Sharma, Kade Gordonhurst, Zoey Harper, and Sylvester Coddmyer.

"Glad you could join us, Eddie", Paul said. "This discussion needs to be held. We must face the evidence that is in front of us."

"So, it seems Carpathia has been busy", Eddie said. "But for all the wrong reasons, apparently."

"Correct", Paul said.

Eddie listened as Paul, Rohit, and Kade presented the evidence they had accumulated about Carpathia. There was no doubt that this situation seemed frightening.

Eddie wasn't sure what any of them could do with the evidence. It wasn't like they could just announce to the public all of their findings. It wouldn't have done any of them any good.

Were they completely helpless? Would they just simply idly wait as Carpathia took control over parts of the world, and there would be no recourse?

Eddie had some respect for Carpathia a few weeks earlier. Now, that respect had been replaced with fear. Eddie realized that it would only be a matter of time before Carpathia and God's other enemies started hunting them all down.

"What are we going to do?", Eddie asked out loud.

"We just need to warn as many people about God and Jesus as we possibly can. There are many people that need to know the truth. Carpathia will do everything in his power to stop people from believing. It is our job as Christians to warn people about Christ and his second coming before it is too late", Paul said.

Eddie knew that Paul seemed to be the wisest of all the people sitting there. He had to wonder if that wisdom would prove to be beneficial in the future.

_Of course, it would_, Eddie thought.

He wanted to warn as many people as possible. He had missed his chance before the Rapture. He wouldn't ever make that mistake again.

Eddie only hoped that God would get all the glory through his actions from that point forward.

**Tony's POV**

Tony Cataldo was in his house, looking for something entertaining to watch on his television. The news was still showing clips of people that had disappeared. After a while Tony turned the television off. The images were too terrifying and disturbing to see.

Tony opened his Bible and started reading the book of Exodus. Then he went to his room and took a long nap.

**Bill's POV**

The next day Bill and most of the passengers from Flight 248 that had become believers had decided to meet with Paul in the church. Sandy was still in New York. Bill decided that he would call him if necessary.

"You know, we should give our group a name", Paul said. "We are already in a group. Followers of Jesus Christ. But I want to create a group that is willing to take a stand against Carpathia and his plans for the world."

"It seems like you already have found that group right here", Bill said. "The ten of us. Including Sandy."

"I agree", Kade said.

"I feel the same way", Rohit said.

"So, what should we call ourselves?", Zoey asked.

Paul thought for a moment. Then, an idea formed in his head.

"I will call this group The Resistance", he said. "It makes sense since we are all trying to resist Carpathia and anyone that supports him."

"The Resistance", Bill said. "I like that name."

"Me too", Tony said. "It sounds tough. Like a challenge for anyone that plans to oppose us."

"The Resistance is a satisfying name indeed", Rohit said.

"Let me call Sandy right now and see what he thinks about that name", Bill said.

"Go right ahead", Paul said.

Bill dialed Sandy's number.

"Hello, Sandy. Just wanted you to know that Paul gave our group a name. The Resistance. What do you think about it?"

"The Resistance", Sandy repeated out loud. "That name seems perfect. Just what we need."

"Exactly", Bill said. "Well, talk to you soon buddy."

"Sure."

After Bill hung up, Rohit had an idea.

"You know, we should create an online website for the Resistance", he said. "That way it will attract more people. We could then start talking to them. Maybe they will join our side. Maybe they can contribute to our cause."

"Sounds brilliant", Paul said. "I'm not a computer expert, but maybe one of you could help me with that."

"I'll try to create the website", Eddie said. "I'll e-mail all of you links when I'm finished."

"You're speaking my language", Paul said.

**Hiram's POV**

Hiram Calhoun was sitting in the bed in his hotel room. He could hardly wait for the meeting in the United Nations building. Carpathia could captivate everyone attending this meeting with his words and ingenuity.

Hiram had many role models growing up. Political ambition had been a part of his personality even when he was just in middle school. He had seen speeches from presidents, vice presidents, senators, and congressmen that seemed uplifting and inspiring. Hiram would just love to be able to win crowds over and persuade them.

Carpathia seemed to have that gift. Hiram was still astonished by how the Romanian president was able to be an exemplary role model with this much support in only one month. Carpathia seemed to have all the talents and gifts any adequate politician would need. Even though he was only 33 years old, Carpathia seemed to have more wisdom and knowledge than all the former living United States presidents combined.

Hiram would love to someday be able to work with Carpathia. It would be an honor to find out more about Carpathia's skills and abilities.

**Bill's POV**

The next day, Bill had called Marlene and asked her to meet him at a fast food restaurant.

When Marlene arrived, Bill thought she seemed nervous and worried. Not that he could blame her. When Bill had told Marlene about the death of Sally Graves, she definitely seemed to be frightened.

"Marlene, I am so pleased to see you", Bill said. "We need to discuss a few matters."

"What is it?", Marlene asked.

"I know why the disappearances happened", Bill said. "Jesus Christ raptured his church and took all the Christians to heaven. There's supposed to be seven years of plagues and disaster that need to take place before his second coming."

Marlene looked at the ground and sighed. "Bill, I didn't come here to have a religious conversion."

"Marlene, I'm only trying to help."

"I know. And I appreciate that. But that doesn't mean I'm just going to surrender my life to God. How can I trust God and love him if he causes such pain and destruction?"

Bill took a deep breath. "I haven't been a believer for very long, but I don't think God is being mean or nefarious. He just wants to get our attention and help us to realize our mistakes."

"Does this mean that all the Christians were so perfect?", Marlene asked, her eyebrows raised.

"No, not at all", Bill said. "But they had something that you, me, and the other passengers from Flight 248 didn't have. They had a personal relationship with God."

Marlene sighed, clearly not wanting to hear more.

"You should come and hear the pastor at this church, Paul Karoski, talk about this stuff. It might change your life."

Marlene smiled. "Thanks for the offer, Bill, but it's not my cup of tea."

Marlene then gathered her belongings and walked out of the restaurant.

Bill had to wonder if everyone that he and the other members of the Resistance came into contact with would react this way.


	13. Episode 13: Erosion

**Season 1, Episode 13: Erosion**

**Bill's POV**

Bill Parker sighed heavily as he thought about his conversation with Marlene Kingston. He could probably say that he wasn't really surprised by her reaction. Not everyone would raise their hands to become a believer.

Bill knew the truth about heaven and hell. This wasn't something to make jokes about. Hearing the news about Sally Graves and Gordon Bernall was certainly disheartening enough. He didn't want to have to hear about anyone else from Flight 248 dying.

Yet, it was inevitable. Bill knew that from what Paul Karoski had told them. The population on earth would dwindle during the Tribulation period. The numbers of people that died as a result of the Rapture was already frightening enough as it was. But Bill knew there was no point in trying to avoid the truth. No, he needed to face the truth and accept it.

Bill could only imagine what Carpathia would have in store for him and the other members of the Resistance. There was no way he would just sit back and allow all this devastation to occur. He needed to take control of the situation.

Bill sat down in the living room and prayed. He prayed for Ben. He prayed for the other members of the Resistance, especially Sandy. He prayed for Marlene. He prayed for the other passengers from Flight 248 that still hadn't believed.

Bill had to wonder how Paul would be able to convince others to become believers or to join the Resistance. Serious action needed to be taken.

**Sandy's POV**

Sandy Comstock was in his hotel room. He had ordered room service that night, deciding to satisfy his appetite. After he finished eating, he felt nervous.

He opened his Bible and read at least two chapters from it. But he still couldn't stop worrying about the meeting with Carpathia. If Paul was right about the Romanian leader being the Antichrist, he simply didn't stand a chance. He knew he would be in a very dangerous situation.

Sandy then rushed to the bathroom. He threw water in his face. He looked in the mirror, filled with trepidation and discomposure. He realized that he might end up dying tomorrow. If something outlandish happened at that meeting, he probably would not be able to withstand any pressure.

_God, give me the strength to go through this,_ Sandy thought. _I need your help. Please, help me. I want to live. Help me to see Carpathia for who he really is. _

Sandy could at least comfort himself with the fact that if he did die during tomorrow's meeting, at least he would see his parents again in heaven. This world was just too dangerous for him and the other members of the Resistance.

**Larry's POV**

Larry Levine had woken up that morning. For a moment he had expected Jozie to come down to breakfast with Marcus and Kyle. But then he remembered that they all had disappeared.

Larry put his head in his hands and sobbed. This was clearly something he would never really be able to get over.

Larry knew that he had to take responsibility for his own actions. He was glad he surrendered to God when he did. He didn't know what would be in store for him and the other members of the Resistance, but he would be prepared for whatever would come his way. He had to step up and watch out for whatever Carpathia or other enemies of God were planning.

**Eddie's POV**

Eddie Exton had asked Rohit Sharma, Kade Gordonhurst, and Tony Cataldo to come over to his house so the four of them could create the website. At least Rohit and Tony weren't fighting at that moment.

Eddie spent at least twenty minutes designing the website and creating a logo on it. Then he had the name of their group, The Resistance, on the front of the website in bold and capitalized letters.

"This looks excellent", Rohit said.

"The feeling is mutual", Tony said.

"I agree", Kade said.

Eddie only hoped this would garner the attention of all the unbelievers. Perhaps, some of them would become believers and maybe even join the Resistance.

**Bill's POV**

The next morning Paul called Bill and the other members of the Resistance in Illinois to New Hope Village Church for another meeting.

"We will all be praying for Sandy", Paul said. "He is a fellow member of the Resistance and we are asking God to allow his life to be spared.

They all stood and held hands as they prayed. Bill found his hands clasped with Paul and Sylvester.

"Father God", Paul prayed. "Help out brother Sandy as he comes face-to-face with possibly the evilest man in the face of the world. Give him, courage, God. Help Sandy to survive. Give him the right words if the time comes for him to speak."

**Sandy's POV**

Sandy was walking to the United Nations building. He watched as fellow co-workers from _Global Weekly_ passed by him to enter the building. So far, Sandy hadn't spotted Carpathia.

Sandy then saw the back of a woman who seemed familiar. He then recognized her. She was on Flight 248. It was Joyce Dancer.

Sandy then watched as Joyce turned around.

"Hey!", she exclaimed. "I know you, don't I?"

"Yes", he said. "You were on Flight 248, right? You know, when the disaster happened?"

"Yes, I was", Joyce said. "What was your name, again?"

"Sandy Comstock", he said. "Your name's Joyce Dancer, right?"

"Yes."

Sandy smiled. "Well, see you around, I guess."

Sandy walked into the United Nations building. Already, he could see that at least thirty people had gathered in the room where the meeting was supposed to take place.

Then Sandy spotted Carpathia. He was smiling at the ambassadors representing specific countries.

Sandy was close enough to hear some of the conversations.

"Truly an honor to see you here…."

"You look exquisite."

Sandy had to wonder if Carpathia was just being polite for personal gain later. He hated to think of what could happen if something went wrong.

"Good to see all of you, gentlemen", Carpathia said. "I would like to introduce to you my tutor from Romania, Marius Balan. He has been quite helpful for my educational background and career."

Sandy had to wonder if Balan had killed Carpathia's chemistry teacher during his last year of high school.

"I am so proud of your progress, Nicolae", Balan said.

Carpathia smiled. Sandy was then shocked when Carpathia pulled a gun from underneath his shirt. Carpathia then pointed the gun towards the crowd of people that were now watching the scene.

**Author's Note: The next episode will be the season finale, and then it will be on to Season 2!**


	14. Episode 14: Tread Lightly

**Season 1, Episode 14: Tread Lightly**

**Sandy's POV**

Sandy Comstock was watching Carpathia. He was wondering what the Romanian president would do next. Seeing him suddenly pull a weapon out in front of everyone in that room seemed daunting enough. Would he live to even be able to describe his experience to the other members of the Resistance?

Carpathia was smiling as he looked at the other people in the room. Sandy was mortified when he saw that all of them were smiling at him, like as if the Romanian president was an innocent angel. Then he realized at that moment he was the only believer in that room. There were reasons why Paul didn't want him to be at this meeting, and now Sandy could see why.

Carpathia then walked around the room and started shaking hands with the other people in that room. Sandy watched as Carpathia embraced the first man that he was interacting with.

"Callum Butler", Carpathia said. "It is an honor to see you again."

"It is an honor for me as well, Mr. Carpathia", Butler said.

Carpathia then shook hands with Joyce Dancer.

"Hello, young lady. What is your name?"

"Joyce Dancer. It is such a pleasure to be able to speak with you in person."

"Likewise."

Sandy wanted to shout at her and tell her that Carpathia was the Antichrist and shouldn't be trusted. He felt trapped and helpless.

Carpathia then shook hands with a woman Sandy assumed was from some magazine company that had been allowed in the building. She didn't seem to be an ambassador.

"What is your name?", he asked.

"Nora Grimsby", she said.

One by one Carpathia went around the room and started asking people their names.

"My name is Travis Steers", a fellow writer from Global Weekly said.

A man named Stefano Bianchi introduced himself. Bianchi was an ambassador from Italy. Nicodemus Wyzek, who was an ambassador from Poland, introduced himself.

Sandy wondered why Carpathia was doing this. Was this some psychological game that Carpathia was playing to show he had control over these people? What was his ambition behind all of this?

Sandy watched as Carpathia shook hands with Howard Hillside. Hillside introduced himself. Sandy wondered what Carpathia would do after all of the introductions were complete.

**Bill's POV**

Bill Parker was at home. He had spent at least fifteen minutes praying for Sandy. He couldn't imagine what he was going through right now.

Bill had then turned on the television.

"Hello everyone. It seems there is some interesting occurrences at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Earlier this morning two men have been standing here and have been shouting and reciting Scriptures. As you can see, many of the Jewish citizens in Israel are not pleased with these two men. They call themselves Uri and Itai."

Bill watched as Uri and Itai shouted at the top of their lungs, reciting scriptures and prophecy.

"The day of the lord draws near!", the man known as Uri shouted. "Turn to Jesus Christ before it is too late!"

"I'm not going to sit back and allow this", a Jewish man in the crowd shouted. "I'm stopping this!"

"Joram Ahabziah, stop!", a man shouted.

But Joram Ahabziah refused to listen. He ran towards the two men holding a knife and verbally threatening to attack them. Neither men even moved an inch. Fire came down from heaven and consumed Joram and he burned to death, his ashes being clearly visible as his entire body seemed to have melted.

Uri and Itai continued preaching. The Jews in the crowd that had gathered continued shouting at them, but no one else dared to attack them.

Bill then called Paul Karoski.

"Paul, do you know what this means?", he asked.

"Yes, I do", Paul said. "This fulfills the prophecy in the eleventh chapter of Revelation. The apostle John wrote that these two men would prophesy for 1,260 days. You can see that it will take place for more than three years. It is also written in that chapter that no rain will fall in Israel during their time there. Simultaneously, Uri and Itai can also turn the water into blood."

"How can anyone doubt God or Christianity after all of this?", Bill asked.

"It amazes me as well how people will still not believe", Paul said. "But everyone has their own issues to work out. All we can do is persuade people."

"This will be life-changing, no doubt about that", Bill said.

"For sure", Paul said. "I wholeheartedly agree with that statement."

**Sandy's POV**

Sandy watched as Carpathia greeted Hiram Calhoun. Carpathia then introduced himself to Pike Jennings. Carpathia smiled at Sandy but didn't say anything to him. Sandy had to wonder why Carpathia didn't verbally greet him. Was it because he knew he was a believer?

_But that's impossible_, Sandy thought. _There is no way he can possibly know._

Carpathia then walked to the front of the room.

"As you can see, I have introduced myself to all of you and politely welcomed you here. I want to call all of you my followers. You will all see that you will serve me and represent me in my kingdom and regime."

Sandy thought about that last statement. _Kingdom?_ _Regime?_ What in the world was taking place? Sandy refused to bow down in front of anyone. He was never a follower. He wanted to be a representative in the United States, where freedom of speech and free will was emphasized. This didn't seem to follow the same continuity Carpathia was imagining or talking about.

The only individual that Sandy would worship or bow down in front of was God. He would never worship Carpathia.

Sandy watched as Carpathia pointed at Marius Balan with his left hand.

"Marius, please kneel in front of me."

"Kneel?", Balan asked, clearly feeling insulted. "Why should I kneel in front of you? You are not above me."

"You will do exactly what I say", Carpathia said. Suddenly the polite tone filled with compassion was clearly gone. Sandy didn't know what to think. He glanced at the other people in the room watching the scene. Not one of them seemed ready to even attempt to stop Carpathia and hinder his diabolical plan. They just stood there, as if watching a movie or a school play.

Balan hesitated, then kneeled in front of Carpathia.

Aurora Pichler walked towards Carpathia. "Nicolae, maybe this is going slightly too far. You should just…"

Carpathia then slapped Aurora across the face.

"You will not interrupt me", he said in a harsh tone.

"Sorry", Aurora said. She then walked away.

The Romanian president smiled as he continued speaking. "Marius, there was a time when I considered you as a very good friend of mine. I loved you like you were a brother. We worked together, we plotted together, we faced hardships and adversity together. You helped me during my school career. You helped me in the world of politics. I received all these accolades, merits, and praise because of your contributions."

Balan smiled, but he still seemed perplexed. Sandy was sure it was because Carpathia was still making him kneel.

"Marius, I knew deep down that we did not share the same goals. You were content with helping me during high school. Including disposing of my worthless chemistry teacher. He was an arrogant fool."

Sandy then took a deep breath as Carpathia pointed the gun at Balan's forehead.

"Marius, there is a lesson that needs to be learned and emphasized in life. You cannot trust everyone you see and interact with. Oh, and another one. All good things must come to an end."

Balan then whimpered.

"Nicolae, what…what does this mean?"

Carpathia then gave a dangerous smile. "I'm going to kill you now, Marius. You were a good ally and a dear comrade. But now, you will no longer be needed."

Balan then cried out, "Nicolae, please don't kill me! I'll do anything!"

"After I kill you", Carpathia said. "I will murder six other people in this room of my choosing. This will serve as a reminder that I will be in control of everything from this point forward. No one can stop me. No one can hinder me. I am just starting my butchery. Nothing will hold me back now."

Carpathia then pointed the gun at Balan.

Sandy screamed out, "Noooo!"

But no one seemed to have heard him. Carpathia pulled the trigger. The bullet entered Balan's forehead, causing immense quantities of blood to spill on the ground.

**Hiram's POV**

Hiram watched with horror as Marius Balan picked up the gun and shot and killed one of the women watching the scene.

At least that's what he thought he was seeing anyway. But why would his eyes deceive him?

Hiram noticed Pike Jennings backing against the wall in fear.

_What a coward!_ Hiram thought.

**Sandy's POV**

Sandy was watching as Balan's body was on the ground, a pool of blood being created around it.

Carpathia then pointed the gun at Nora Grimsby and shot her in the head. Grimsby's body fell to the ground, and Sandy could have sworn he saw one of her brains on the floor. This was becoming disgusting and morbid.

Sandy saw Joyce cry out and a tear stream down her cheek.

If Carpathia noticed, he didn't show any emotion. The leader that once seemed filled with compassion and empathy was now showing bloodlust and destruction. Sandy could now see his callous nature.

**Joyce's POV**

Joyce couldn't believe that Balan had killed Nora Grimsby. At least that was what she had seen.

A tear streamed down her cheek.

**Sandy's POV**

Sandy Comstock was watching Carpathia as he continued his killing spree in that room.

Carpathia pointed the gun at Travis Steers. Before Sandy could yell at him to move out of the way, a bullet from the gun entered his forehead, killing him.

Sandy looked at Travis's body, filled with utter disbelief. Even though Sandy had never interacted with Travis that often outside of their work together, he didn't believe anyone should have to die in such a ruthless manner.

Carpathia wasn't even finished. He pointed the gun at Nicodemus Wyzek and shot and killed him.

Sandy noticed that the other people in the room seemed frozen in place. It was like they were completely indifferent to the events occurring right before their very eyes. They didn't seem to react to the bloodshed. They didn't seem to notice or care.

Sandy was wondering how any of this was even possible.

But then he figured it out.

_Carpathia must be brainwashing these people_, he thought.

Sandy watched as Carpathia pointed the gun at Stefano Bianchi. Carpathia shot and killed him within three seconds.

Carpathia then pointed the gun at Callum Butler, then fired the gun at his stomach three times. Butler was dead before his body hit the ground.

"I only need one more kill", Carpathia screamed.

He then pointed the gun at Howard Hillside. Before Sandy could do anything, Carpathia fired a bullet that hit Hillside in one of his eyes. Carpathia then shot a fatal bullet in Hillside's head.

Sandy was mortified and aghast by what he was seeing. Seven people had died in that room. And no one even seemed to know that except for Carpathia and Sandy.

Carpathia then walked around the room and asked people what they had seen.

"I can't believe what happened", Hiram Calhoun said. "Marius Balan grabbed your gun and killed those people before taking his own life."

"I saw the same thing", Joyce said.

"It was unbelievable", Pike Jennings said. "Balan killed those six people and then took his own life."

Carpathia then continued walking around the room and asking people what they had seen.

"What did you see, sir?", Carpathia asked Sandy.

Sandy didn't know what to say.

But then some thoughts ran through his brain. Then a mysterious voice ran through his head.

_Say nothing!_ The voice commanded.

Was that the voice of God?

So, Sandy decided to keep quiet.

Carpathia then said, "I understand completely. You must be in shock after what Marius did. I won't understand it. I knew him for years. He was my friend. Why he committed this terrible act and murdered these innocent lives are events that I may never understand."

Sandy couldn't seem to control his emotions. As everyone around him seemed to be engaged in conversations, he ran straight to a nearby phone.

"Police!", Sandy said into the phone. "Seven people lost their lives here."

Sandy knew that if he told the police what really happened, they wouldn't have believed him. He glanced around the room to see where Joyce was but couldn't find her.

The meeting was disbanded thirty minutes later. Sandy ran out of the room and found a taxi to take him back to the hotel.

When Sandy reached his hotel room, he closed the door and thanked God that he was still alive.

_Thank you, God, for allowing me to live_, he thought.

He then decided to call Bill or Paul.

He dialed Paul's cell phone number.

"Paul", Sandy said, clearly gasping between breaths. "Carpathia is the Antichrist. He has to be. I saw him kill seven people during the meeting. He seemed to have brainwashed everyone in the room."

"I'm just thankful you're alive, Sandy", Paul said.

"Call the other members of the Resistance and we'll all meet at O'Hare International Airport", Sandy said. "I have to tell all of you everything."

Sandy knew he would have to tread lightly in the days to come.

**Bill's POV**

Bill and the other members of the Resistance were waiting at O'Hare International Airport for Sandy's plane to touch down. When Sandy ran through the gate, the other nine members of the Resistance embraced him. Paul prayed and thanked God for protecting Sandy during the meeting.

Sandy told them the story of what had happened.

"Wow", Rohit said. "That is odious."

"Agreed", Kade said.

"At least I'm not the only one to survive a shooting", Tony said. "We'll need to support each other during this peculiar time period."

The ten members of the Resistance moved through the terminal, their arms around each other. Bill Parker, Sandy Comstock, Paul Karoski, Kade Gordonhurst, Eddie Exton, Zoey Harper, Rohit Sharma, Sylvester Coddmyer, Tony Cataldo, and Larry Levine saw the dangers that had occurred in their world in one month, and they knew their mission.

The task of the Resistance was clear and their goal nothing less than to stand and fight the enemies of God during the seven most chaotic years the planet would ever see.

IN MEMORIAM

**Joram Ahabziah**

**Marius Balan**

**Nora Grimsby**

**Travis Steers**

**Nicodemus Wyzek**

**Stefano Bianchi**

**Callum Butler**

**Howard Hillside **

**Author's Note: And that was all of Season 1! I'll start writing Season 2 as soon as possible.**


End file.
